After the candidates had almost dispersed, Xu Yao walked in from the door.
Meng Yao had packed all his belongings, but he was still dragging his feet. When she really stayed in the same space, she lost the courage to look at him unscrupulously, and could only pay careful attention with her peripheral vision.
Xu Yao walked directly to the third-to-last seat in the row at the back of the classroom.
The student who was originally sitting in that position for the exam had left, and Xu Yao put his stationery into the table.
He didn't look at anyone else, and he wasn't at all curious about the strange faces sitting in this classroom.
Song Siqi didn't see Meng Yao in the corridor when she handed in the papers. She poked her head towards Science Class 1 at the door of the classroom and saw Meng Yao sitting in his seat who seemed to be in a daze. She shouted: "Meng Yao!"
As if frightened, Meng Yao quickly withdrew his peripheral vision, looked up, and saw Song Siqi standing up in a panic, picking up her belongings and walking out.
Song Siqi's voice attracted the attention of many people.
Where none of them noticed, Xu Yao raised his eyes and looked over.
Meng Yao didn't look back, he only saw a slender figure leaving in a hurry.
This concludes today's exam.
Meng Yao has an unassuming personality. He doesn't like to get the answers right after the exam, nor does he like to regret the subjects he has already completed. Song Siqi is the type who just forgets it after taking the exam. The two of them walked together in a relaxed atmosphere, and no one mentioned the exam.
Tonight's evening self-study will go on as usual, and there will be liberal arts and English exams tomorrow.
Meng Yao lowered her head and was doing English test questions. The incandescent lamp in the classroom shone on her body, giving her already white skin a cold tone.
The next day, Meng Yao went to the examination room a little early for the comprehensive examination in literature and science.
The third-to-last row at the back of the classroom is already empty.
Meng Yao performed steadily in the morning session of literary variety and in the afternoon English session. After the show, she was waiting for Song Siqi in the corridor. Many students returned to their own classes after taking exams. Some people walked out of the door of the science class one classroom, while others walked in from outside.
Probably not lucky enough today.
Meng Yao never saw the familiar figure again.
Song Siqi met her classmates from last semester and chatted for a while in the examination room. After wasting some time, she ran to Meng Yao and held her hand, sticking out her tongue and saying, "You've been waiting for a long time."
Meng Yao shook his head and said it was okay.
They still had to go back to class to clean up the examination room and move tables and chairs. Song Siqi complained sadly as she went down the stairs: "I really want to have a holiday tonight."
The holiday hadn't come yet, but she already had a plan, and said excitedly: "Meng Yao, shall we go have fun during the National Day holiday?"
Meng Yao stepped down a flight of stairs and asked, "Where are we going to play?"
Song Siqi hadn't decided on the specific location yet, so she hesitated, thought for a while and said, "It's okay, let's make an appointment first anyway."
She winked playfully.
There is plenty of time during the seven-day National Day holiday.
Meng Yao smiled, nodded and said, "Okay."
The monthly exam results came out on the morning of the holiday. Unexpectedly, Meng Yao did pretty well in mathematics, a subject that usually lags behind. This made her overall results much better, and her ranking also improved. More than a dozen people.
Song Siqi did not do badly in the exam. When she saw the report card, she breathed a sigh of relief and said with joy in her voice: "I can spend this holiday very happily."
Not even ten minutes after I was happy, a bolt from the blue suddenly came.
For some reason, the original seven-day National Day holiday was shortened to five days.
There was an outcry in the classroom.
Song Siqi's heart was filled with despair, she gritted her teeth and complained in a low voice: "Feng Han is not a good man!"
Meng Yao held a stack of papers to be completed during the holiday in his hand and sighed softly.
*
Song Lan went to work as usual on National Day. Meng Yao rarely had a long vacation after entering high school, so she packed up her things and went back to the countryside on the first day of the vacation.
The shuttle bus was swaying on a flat road. After nearly an hour's drive, Meng Yao was wearing headphones and tilted his head against the car window. Her hair was blown by the wind and scattered on both sides of her face. Meng Yao looked at the receding scenery outside the window.
She let herself go and felt the rare relaxation and comfort.
Suddenly, the phone buzzed twice. Meng Yao withdrew his attention, lowered his eyes, and tapped the screen twice with his delicate fingertips.
Song Lan sent a WeChat message asking her if she was home.
Meng Yao lowered his head and typed: Not yet.
Song Lan asked: Where are you?
Meng Yao glanced out the window and estimated: It will take another twenty minutes.
Song Lan said yes, but couldn't help but tell her: Don't play around when you go back to your grandparents' house, especially your mobile phone. You are already a little short-sighted, so don't make it worse. It’s okay to relax appropriately during the holidays, but you still have to focus on studying and read more books.
Meng Yao read the long message and simply replied: Got it.
Her attitude was lukewarm, and Song Lan said nothing more.
The dialog box returned to silence. Meng Yao turned up the music in his headphones and turned off his phone.
Twenty minutes later, Meng Yao got off the bus at the intersection with his backpack.
It was still five minutes away from her grandparents' house. Meng Yao walked slowly along the forest path. When he passed through a large bamboo forest, the sun happened to shine on the ground through the branches and leaves, casting a large light and shadow. Meng Yao raised his head and looked at the clear blue sky, exhaled slightly, and calmed down.
When she returned home, her grandma was sitting at the door basking in the sun. She was surprised and happy that she was back. She quickly got up from the chair, held her hand and cared about whether she had eaten.
"Not yet." Grandma's hands were a little rough, but very warm. Meng Yao felt the warmth from her palms and coquettishly said, "I want to eat the stir-fried sauerkraut you cooked."
Grandma smiled: "You are really easy to take care of. If you don't like chickens, ducks and fish, why do you like to eat pickled vegetables?"
Meng Yao stuck out his tongue: "You cook delicious food."
Grandma shook her head and smiled: "Go into the house and cook it for you right away."
The room was much cooler. Meng Yao put his backpack on the chair and listened to his grandmother saying, "It's true that you didn't call in advance when you came back, so that I could prepare it in advance to prevent you from going hungry."
"It's okay." Meng Yao said with a smile, "It's a surprise."
Grandma entered the kitchen. Meng Yao watched her hunched body busy, drank some water and followed her.
"Grandma, where is grandpa?"
"I don't know where I slipped away." Grandma said.
Meng Yao groaned, looking around.
This room seemed all too familiar to her.
Meng Yao actually grew up with his grandmother. At that time, Song Lan was developing with Meng Yuanshan in other places. Her grandparents were not in good health, so Meng Yao was entrusted to her grandmother and grandfather. Song Lan didn't come back to take care of her until she was in elementary school.
This is probably the reason why she and Song Lan have not been close since childhood.
Meng Yao wanted to help in the kitchen, but her grandmother stopped her, so Meng Yao had to lean next to the refrigerator and chat with her.
Grandma asked her how she was studying, and she answered her questions one by one. When she talked about the monthly exam, she looked like she was begging for praise and said, "I've made a little progress in math."
"That's good." Grandma smiled happily and nodded, lowered her head to chop vegetables, and asked after a while, "How are you getting along with mom lately?"
Meng Yao was silent for a moment and said, "It's okay."
The relationship between mother and daughter is also a difficult question.
Grandma sighed, without much admonishment, and said to her after a while: "Don't force yourself to do many things. People, just be happy."
Meng Yao's nose was sore at her grandma's gentle tone, and she nodded heavily.
During the meal, Meng Yao received a WeChat message from Song Siqi. Song Siqi asked: Is Meng Yao here?
Meng Yao replied to her while eating: "Here we are."
Song Siqi said: Hey, did you get your phone back?
Meng Yao hummed.
This matter can be traced back to the beginning of school.
Song Siqi had just met Meng Yao and became roommates. In order to show friendship, she took the initiative to add Meng Yao's WeChat account. However, after a few days, Meng Yao's side was still not approved. After asking, she found out that Meng Yao's mobile phone had been owned by her mother during school. Keep it, you can only get it back during the holidays.
Song Siqi's family had never restricted her so severely, and she immediately felt sympathy for Meng Yao.
Song Siqi sent her a message to ask her for a specific day to go out to play.
Meng Yao thought for a while and said, "Let's go back to grandma today."
Song Siqi said yes.
The two chatted for a few more words, and Song Siqi said: I'm used to going to school. I woke up very early today. I feel very sleepy now. I have to take a nap.
When she said this, Meng Yao also felt a little sleepy. She just had a holiday and her biological clock failed to adjust. She replied to Song Siqi: Go to sleep.
After the meal, Meng Yao washed the dishes. Grandma prepared some fruit and asked her to eat it together. Meng Yao moved a chair and sat next to her. Whenever she came back here and nestled next to her grandma, she always had the feeling of slowing down. Feel.
Meng Yao stayed with her grandma for three days.
Every day I walk around with my grandma, go to the vegetable garden, and do a few test papers, and barely touch my mobile phone.
The day she went back was October 4th. Her grandfather prepared a lot of home-grown vegetables for her to take back. Meng Yao grabbed the bag with one hand and was very reluctant to let go.
She waved her grandma's hand in a rare and willful way, just like she had begged her grandma to take her to buy candy when she was a child, and said, "You and grandpa come with me."
"This is no good." Grandma said, "I'm not used to you guys."
"Besides, now that you have all moved out of your previous house and lived near the school in order to study, your mother usually has to go to work, so grandpa and I won't cause any trouble."
Grandma looked at her lovingly and patted her hand: "Okay, you will come back as soon as the holiday comes."
Meng Yao nodded.
In fact, she knew that she couldn't persuade her grandparents. Song Lan once had a similar idea, but her grandparents rejected it because she was "unaccustomed to it and uncomfortable."
On a hot day, Meng Yao didn't ask his grandparents to send him off, and left after being told to "study hard."
When I got in the car and looked at the country road going backwards outside the window, I suddenly felt sad.
There are many things in this world that you can't save even if you try your best.
Such as the joy of childhood.
The car windows were wide open, and the summer breeze blew in, bringing a bit of coolness.
Meng Yao leaned back on the chair and slowly closed his eyes.
*
Meng Yao and Song Siqi made an appointment at two o'clock in the afternoon. She got off the car and went back home to put her things away. Then she washed her face before taking her keys and setting off.
When I got on the bus, I received a message from Song Siqi: Meng Yao, have you set off?
Meng Yao replied to her: Just set off
Song Siqi said: OK, then I will find a shady place on the roadside to wait for you, and send me a message when you arrive.
Meng Yao asked in surprise: Are you already here?
Song Siqi: Yes, I left early because I had nothing to do. It’s okay. You take your time.
Meng Yao said yes.
She kept looking down at her phone and felt dizzy. After replying to Song Siqi, she put away her phone.
Ten minutes later, Meng Yao got off the bus at the platform and met Song Siqi smoothly.
Song Siqi fanned her cheeks with her palms, her cheeks flushed red by the sun.
"It's so hot, let's go buy some drinks?"
Meng Yao felt the heat wave in the air and agreed, "Okay."
There was a milk tea shop nearby. Song Siqi ordered a cup of the signature taro ball milk tea at the bar, and Meng Yao ordered a cup of watermelon pop. While waiting for it to be made, the two of them found a seat close to the air-conditioning outlet and sat down.
When the cold drinks were served, Song Siqi took a photo of two drinks next to each other and posted it on WeChat Moments. After a while, her phone rang with a new message alert. She lowered her head to check, and tapped her fingers quickly on the keyboard.
Suddenly, she raised her head and naturally turned the chat page on her phone to Meng Yao. She looked at her in surprise and said, "Zheng Hua said they are also nearby and will come over for milk tea later."
