Chapter 38 Isn't this something you will learn automatically when you reach a certain age?
"Okay, we'll talk about the specific work of the class leader tomorrow. Everyone, please be safe on your way home. get out of class dismissed!"
"goodbye teacher--"
Four fifty in the afternoon is the time for Baitan Middle School to finish school.
Getting out of school at this time is probably something that many students would envy.
The school's schedule is linked to the current environment. Considering that many students do not live on Baitan Island, whether they ride bicycles, take buses, or take ferry boats, there will be no shuttle services if it is too late.
Therefore, teachers on the island basically don’t keep students in class after school in the afternoon.
After school, the class is bustling.
Fang Wei also started to tidy up the things on the desk.
For the new textbooks distributed today, except for some that you need to take home to read, the rest can just be left in the classroom.
Liu Zhiyi on the side was also packing her things. It seemed that she was going to take a lot of books back with her, and her light blue canvas backpack was filled bulgingly.
She really likes books and is even very careful when putting the books into her schoolbag. Unlike many of her classmates who just cram everything in, she makes sure they are neat and tidy.
"Liu Zhiyi, did you take the bus this morning?" Fang Wei asked curiously.
"Yeah. Take the bus."
Liu Zhiyi nodded. Perhaps some conditioned reflex was triggered. When the word "bus" was mentioned, her face turned a little strange, and her young stomach felt a little churning.
Bus... She would never forget the nightmarish experience of taking the bus to school in the morning.
When she thought about having to take the bus back later, her pretty face turned pale.
Looking at Fang Wei next to him, he and Cai Ling and A Sheng were also from Pineapple Island, and they probably took the bus to school... But they didn't look uncomfortable at all. Was I really too squeamish...
Liu Zhiyi didn't want to leave her classmates with the impression that she was "squeamish because she came from a big city", so she took the bus to school, but she didn't dare to ask the driver to stop, and then she vomited when she got off the bus. This was such an embarrassing thing that she would never tell anyone about it even if she died.
"The bus... do you want to go back with us?"
Fang Wei thought about it and invited him.
It can be seen from her expression that she absolutely cannot bear the bus experience on the island. Not to mention her, even Fang herself can hardly bear it.
"no, I'm fine."
Liu Zhiyi refused out of habit.
She could just take the bus secretly and vomit secretly, she didn't want to be seen by them!
"It's okay. We're all from Pineapple Island anyway, so we're all on the same route. Cailing and Asheng are coming with us, too."
"Are you guys also taking the bus?"
"No, you know from taking the bus that it's stuffy, smelly, and bumpy. We can't stand it."
"That's it."
I don't know whether Fang Wei mentioned it intentionally or unintentionally, but when Liu Zhiyi heard that they couldn't stand taking the bus, the pressure on her was much less. It seemed that it wasn't that she was really squeamish, but... this bus was really too outrageous.
"Then how did you get to school?"
"We all ride bicycles, even after school."
"But I didn't come here by bike..."
"It's okay, let's go together. Cai Ling should be happy to take you home."
God knows how tempting this invitation is to Liu Zhiyi. She almost agreed, but still shook her head embarrassedly:
"No need. I'm sorry to bother you, Cai Ling."
"How about you take my car?"
"Ah? That's not what I meant..."
Seeing that she really didn't want to trouble them, Fang Wei didn't force her. When he was about to get up and leave, Xu Cailing, who had packed her things, ran over.
"Let's go! School is over! What are you two still sitting for?"
"Let's go then."
"Zhiyi, let's go! Let's ride back together! I'll give you a ride!"
As expected, no one was more familiar with this childhood sweetheart than Fang Wei. Xu Cailing not only invited Liu Zhiyi to go home with them, but also invited her to ride in her car.
"No, I..."
"Oh, let's go!"
Xu Cailing didn't care about her shyness. Just like at lunch, she directly put her arm around Liu Zhiyi and dragged her away, which left Fang Wei who was standing beside her stunned.
He finally understood what it meant to have something stronger than something else.
Of course, Cai Ling can do this, but he can’t, otherwise he will end up in jail sooner or later…
……
At five o'clock in the evening, the sun has already moved to the west, stretching the shadows of the boys and girls walking on the campus into long and slanted shapes.
There are a lot more clouds than at noon, and white clouds and sunset glow are intertwined with each other. Although the sky is still bright and clear blue, it is not as dazzling as it was at noon.
At such times, Fang Wei would empty his mind, look into the distant sky, feel the warmth of the setting sun falling on his skin, listen to the sound of the wind, the chirping of cicadas and the singing of birds, his heart filled with tranquility and comfort.
This kind of expression would occasionally attract the attention of his friends around him. Xu Cailing and A Sheng followed his gaze and looked into the distance, but in the end they saw nothing.
"What are you looking at?"
“The scenery.”
“…Tsk, so boring!”
Xu Cailing didn't talk to him, but turned to ask Liu Zhiyi who was sitting quietly beside him:
"Zhiyi, do you have a bicycle at home?"
"some."
"Then let's ride our bikes to school together tomorrow!"
“…I can’t ride.”
Liu Zhiyi said with a little embarrassment. In fact, she not only didn't know how to ride a bicycle, but also didn't know how to get from Pineapple Island to school. It wasn't that she was directionally challenged, but she was not familiar with the road, and she didn't go out very often.
"You can't ride a bicycle? Is this true?"
"Um……"
The shock on Xu Cailing's face was somewhat beyond Liu Zhiyi's expectations, as if what he was talking to her about was not about cycling, but was telling her "I don't know how to blink."
"But riding a bicycle is something you will learn automatically when you reach a certain age, Zhiyi, you... uh."
"..."
Xu Cailing was shocked by the fact that Liu Zhiyi couldn't ride a bicycle. Similarly, Xu Cailing's theory that "one will automatically learn to ride a bicycle when one reaches a certain age" also shocked Liu Zhiyi.
For a moment, the two girls couldn't figure out who was wrong between them...
Fang Wei, who was watching the scenery on the side, gave them both a speechless look.
Liu Zhiyi was wrong in that she couldn't compare herself to Xu Cailing. That was Xu Cailing! Not to mention riding a bicycle, she could do things like swimming automatically after reaching a certain age. She was born with a natural athletic body. You think she's kidding.
"Okay, learning to ride a bicycle is very easy. I will teach you when the time comes. I guarantee that you will be able to ride it in less than an hour!" Xu Cailing patted the depressed Liu Zhiyi and comforted him.
"Well, will it be a lot of trouble for you?" Liu Zhiyi was also touched after hearing this.
"It's not a big deal. Just sit on the bike, put your feet up and pedal, hold the front of the bike with your hands, and you can ride!"
"..."
Xu Cailing enthusiastically shared her cycling skills with her. Liu Zhiyi became more and more confused as she listened. What skills were there like "lifting the bicycle head", "drifting through a corner", "letting go of the bicycle", etc. Is this riding a bicycle? A stunt, right?!
Fang Wei was both angry and amused. Xu Cailing was a good contestant, but definitely not a good teacher.
All these theories and techniques she talked about were summarized by herself. They might sound okay to talented students, but to people without talent, what she said sounded like a fairy tale.
In fact, she relied on her talent in all sports, including surfing. Even though she still can't stand steadily on the surfboard, you have to know that she has never had a teacher or a mobile phone to search for tutorials. She relies entirely on her athletic talent to practice... The four of them came to the wall and unlocked their bicycles. Bicycles were not allowed on campus, so they could only push them out of the school.
After arriving at the school gate, Xu Cailing couldn't wait to start teaching.
"Zhiyi, you come ride!"
"what?"
Liu Zhiyi's eyes widened when he heard this.
This is not sending yourself home, this is clearly sending yourself to death!
"Come on, come on, I'll help you hold the bike, just ride with confidence."
"Okay, okay..."
The two girls exchanged positions, Liu Zhiyi stood in front holding the handlebars, and Xu Cailing stood in the back holding the frame.
"Get on the bike and ride. Don't be afraid. I'm holding it."
"Um……"
Liu Zhiyi got into the car with trepidation, with both legs on the ground. For a moment, he didn't know which leg to loosen first.
"Just hold on with one foot!"
"Oh……"
Liu Zhiyi lifted his right foot and placed it on the pedal, with his left foot on the ground. His delicate little hands held the handlebars tightly, and faint blue veins could be seen on the back of his fair hand.
"Then, ride!"
"..."
Liu Zhiyi had just lifted her left leg to rest on the ground when the bicycle began to shake violently. The wheel barely rolled half a circle, and then she jumped off the seat in fear and stood on the ground in a panic...
Xu Cailing: “…”
Liu Zhiyi: “…”
The two girls looked at each other, both of them seemed a little innocent. No one could tell what went wrong or why the picture was different from what they had imagined.
Fortunately, Fang Wei, who was standing by, finally couldn't help but smooth things over: "Okay, let's practice next time when we have time. There are a lot of people on the street. Why don't you guys hurry home?"
"Well, okay, let's practice after we get back to the village. There are few cars in the village. Zhiyi, I'll ride, and you sit behind me, watch carefully, and learn well."
"it is good……"
Liu Zhiyi's tense nerves finally relaxed, and he hurriedly handed the driving rights back to Xu Cailing.
The bicycle that was like a ferocious beast in her hands just now became a well-behaved and obedient mount in Xu Cailing's hands.
Xu Cailing got into the car in a very casual manner. She considerately moved the backpack on her back around to the front of her body, and then called Liu Zhiyi to get in the car.
"Zhiyi, get in the car!"
"Cai Ling, thank you..."
After hesitating for a while, Liu Zhiyi sincerely expressed her gratitude to Xu Cailing. No matter what, she no longer had to suffer by taking the bus home.
"You're welcome. I have a footrest on the back seat of my car. It's very comfortable to sit on. Come on in."
"Ah."
Liu Zhiyi sat astride the frame of her bicycle, raised her legs and placed them on the pedals, holding the frame with her hands behind her back in a reserved manner.
"set off!"
Xu Cailing put the white baseball cap on her head, and her short ponytail showed out from the back of the cap. She lifted her slender left leg that was under the ground, bent down slightly, and pushed hard, and the wheel under her began to turn.
Fang Wei and A Sheng, who were standing by, also rode their horses and followed her.
……
The sunset is like a poem, spreading a light orange-red picture across the sky.
The evening breeze gently blows across your face, bringing the unique coolness of a summer evening.
Three bicycles of different colors rode together, shuttling through the bustling streets of the town. Soon, the noise of the town faded away, and the Baitan Bridge appeared before their eyes. At the other end of the bridge was the island where they lived.
"Have you noticed that our Pineapple Island looks so small when viewed from the bridge?" said A Sheng.
"It's very small, not even half the size of Baitan Island." Cai Ling also said.
“But when you live in it, it doesn’t feel that small.”
"If you look at a small place from a big place, it will seem small!"
It's rare that Xu Cailing said something quite philosophical.
“This is called not knowing the true face of Mount Lu, because one is already in the mountain.”
Fang Wei helped her make a summary.
"Zhiyi, isn't Pineapple Island very small compared to Shanghai?"
"Hmm... probably."
Objectively speaking, it is definitely very small, but in Liu Zhiyi's eyes, there is actually not much difference. After all, he is a stay-at-home in Pineapple Island and in Shanghai. The world has become as small as a hundred meters in radius...
She raised her head and looked into the distance——
The clouds on the horizon are dyed a dreamy purple and pink, so beautiful that it makes one's heart beat faster. Under the Baitan Bridge is the sea water dyed golden by the setting sun, sparkling. Seagulls are circling in the air, making crisp calls. The sea breeze mixed with the salty smell of the sea water and a refreshing breath blows in the face, and the girl's long hair flutters in the wind.
Earlier today, she had actually imagined the scene of herself going home in the afternoon - probably like in the morning, sitting on a bumpy bus, filled with the stuffy stench of a narrow space, and her struggling to lie by the window, breathing the thin fresh air pitifully, not paying attention to the scenery along the way, and suppressing the churning of her stomach with a pale face...
And just now, the bus she took in the morning passed by her.
Now she is not in the car, but riding on the picturesque road with Cai Ling, Fang Wei, A Sheng and others, chatting and laughing...
It was hard to describe the feeling this interweaving of scenes brought to her.
The world and what they have given me seem to flow around me, as gentle as water.
……
After getting off the Baitan Bridge, we rode along the coastline for a while, passed the pier, and then drove over the country's loess path, and first arrived at Shayang Village.
The three bicycles stopped steadily in front of the gate of a yard in tacit understanding.
Seeing that Liu Zhiyi was still sitting in the back seat without any reaction, Fang Wei, Cailing and Asheng all looked over curiously. They were the only ones talking the whole way. If Cailing hadn't shown off her riding skills like she usually did, they would have almost forgotten that there was a girl on the back seat.
"Zhiyi, you're home!"
“Ah? …Oh oh!”
Liu Zhiyi, who had been in a daze, finally came to his senses and looked carefully. He found that he had arrived at his doorstep.
It feels amazing that they know where she lives without me having to tell them.
Liu Zhiyi didn't have time to feel it carefully and hurriedly jumped out of the back seat.
"I'm home, Cailing... Thank you!"
"Oh, you're here again. Learn how to ride a bike sooner so we can go to and from school together!"
"Ah."
Liu Zhiyi nodded vigorously.
"Let's go, see you tomorrow!"
"See you tomorrow."
Fang Wei, Cai Ling and A Sheng rode away on their bikes.
Liu Zhiyi, who was standing at the gate of the courtyard, was still standing there blankly, looking at their backs for a long, long time...
(End of this chapter)
