White clouds float in the blue sky, a big ball, so soft that it makes people want to take a bite.
Outside the car window, there are rows of trees beside the rugged road, lush and full of life.
Xu Yao's words were a bit strange and didn't match the preface, but they made sense.
Meng Yao just looked at him and said a bunch of words that sounded like compliments but were full of sincerity. After he finished speaking, he felt a little embarrassed. He used up most of his courage. After that, he didn't deliberately find a topic to talk about. He didn't even dare to look at Xu Yao. Stay. Xu Yao drove quietly and attentively, while Meng Yao admired the scenery outside the window. The car was silent again, but the atmosphere was no longer stiff.
After arriving in town, Meng Yao realized why he had to rush early.
Xu Yao brought her to the market. In fact, it was not too early for them to arrive. The market was very lively, the streets were full of people, and the narrow streets were packed to the brim.
It was Meng Yao’s first time in a place like this.
Even when she was a child and lived in the countryside with her grandparents, she never went to the market.
Meng Yao felt it was quite novel.
Everything is sold in the market, including vegetables, fruits, medicinal materials, toys, clothes...
Meng Yao looked around, wanting to take out his phone and take some photos. This kind of scene actually has a sense of life and a sense of stability.
Xu Yao was not in a hurry to go shopping. There were several simple breakfast shops on the roadside. He asked Meng Yao again: "What do you want for breakfast?"
He glanced at it a few times and introduced to Meng Yao: "There are roasted bait cubes, pancakes, noodles, and dumplings."
In fact, Meng Yao could eat anything, but her first consideration was Xu Yao. After this period of getting along, and sitting at the same table to eat every day, Meng Yao learned more or less about his tastes and preferences. He hesitated and said, "Would you like to eat noodles?"
Xu Yao looked indifferent and nodded: "Okay."
The noodle shop is a bit old, and the store is very narrow. There are only two tables and chairs, but they are kept very clean, and there are no oil stains or dirt on the table. Xu Yao and Meng Yao sat across from each other, each ordering a bowl of chicken shredded roll noodles.
Meng Yao had never eaten it before. When ordering, Xu Yao chatted with the proprietress in an unauthentic dialect, then turned around and introduced to her that this was one of the specialty snacks here. Meng Yao was very interested and ordered one. Unexpectedly, Xu Yao ordered the same thing as her.
The chicken shredded roll noodle tastes good, refreshing and not greasy, with just the right amount of hot and sour taste. Meng Yao's eyes lit up as soon as he took the first bite. She doesn't eat quickly and her food intake is usually small. This bowl of rice noodles was quite generous. Meng Yao finished eating it, but Xu Yao only had to wait for a while. Xu Yao didn't rush her. After finishing his meal, he took out his mobile phone and played with it for a while. When Meng Yao put down his chopsticks and took out a tissue, he stood up and paid the bill very naturally.
Meng Yao took a step slower.
It's just a bowl of rice noodles, not much money. No matter from which aspect, Xu Yao probably doesn't care.
But Meng Yao couldn't.
The current relationship between them is a bit awkward. It doesn't have the feeling of familiarity between friends, but it is not considered unfamiliar.
To put it mildly, Meng Yao subconsciously made clear distinctions in interpersonal communication.
Meng Yao was still thinking about the bowl of noodles, while Xu Yao was already looking for the target in the market.
The main purpose of his trip to town was to buy some school supplies for the school.
Summer vacation is coming to an end, and so is his vacation. Xu Yao will leave Yunnan soon, and he is not sure when he will come back next time. Every time he comes here and every time he leaves, Xu Yao will prepare some gifts for the children. When I came, it was because I hadn’t seen you for a long time. The gift expressed care and concern. When I left, it was encouragement. I hope these children can study well and grow up happily.
Xu Yao will not make the farewell atmosphere sad, he will make the scene relaxed. He hopes that these children will be full of hope. Every time before leaving, he will always say to them: Looking forward to seeing you next time.
Although this "next time" took a long time, Xu Yao always maintained contact with Yu Yuan and never gave up funding for the school within his ability.
So even if he doesn't come often, he still accompanies the growth of these children in another way.
In their hearts, brother Xu Yao's position is very solid.
Meng Yao didn't understand these things, but he soon realized the purpose of Xu Yao's trip.
Xu Yao had already written a list in his mind about the items he wanted to buy. Meng Yao came to the market for the first time. Although she didn't show it clearly, Xu Yao still noticed the curiosity in her eyes. Xu Yao was not in a hurry to buy anything, and it took a lot of effort to carry it. He planned to accompany Meng Yao to visit the market first to satisfy her sense of novelty.
The things sold in the market are actually very ordinary, nothing unusual, but Meng Yao likes this popularity very much. The shouts of the stall owners and the chatter from all directions filled his ears, making it bustling.
In this picture, everyone is living a good life.
After walking side by side for a while, Meng Yao looked around and finally remembered something. He turned around and asked Xu Yao: "Are you going to buy something?"
Her expression was a bit like a bird out of its cage. Although she was not flapping her wings, her face was full of excitement and curiosity, and her eyes were shining and full of life. Xu Yao was lost for a moment, then looked at her and said "hmm", smiled and said: "Don't be in a hurry, just take your time."
His words of "walk slowly" were meant for Meng Yao. It was very noisy around, so the words seemed a bit light. Even Xu Yao himself didn't realize that there was a tenderness in it, and Meng Yao didn't realize it either. When he hasn't found what he wants to buy.
The further inside, the more types of things were sold, and after the novelty was satisfied, Meng Yao became even more confused.
She didn't know what Xu Yao wanted to buy. Xu Yao didn't take the initiative to stop at any stall. It was impossible for him to come here to buy food or clothes.
A long street is coming to an end.
The sun was high in the sky, and the sunlight was a bit dazzling.
Xu Yao bought two bottles of mineral water from the roadside canteen and handed one bottle to Meng Yao.
After walking a short distance further, Xu Yao took Meng Yao into a small shop.
This store didn't have a decent signboard. When he walked in, Meng Yao realized that it was a stationery store.
The stationery in the store is not very exquisite, it is all of the most common and simple type. Meng Yao guessed Xu Yao's purpose almost as soon as he walked in here.
Xu Yao had already made a plan. As soon as he entered the store, he communicated with the boss about what he needed to buy and the quantity.
He spoke Mandarin, as did the owner of the stationery store.
Meng Yao heard it clearly.
Unexpectedly, the owner of the stationery store knew Xu Yao, and in addition to communicating about stationery purchases, the two were able to exchange a few words. The owner of the stationery store was very unfamiliar with Meng Yao, so he looked at Meng Yao more curiously, but didn't ask anything.
Meng Yao watched the boss take out two stacks of homework books from the shelf, including vocabulary books, composition books, mathematics books, and English books. Xu Yao bought a lot. The boss ordered the quantity, pressed it a few times on the computer, and added These workbooks are packed into categories.
Xu Yao walked around the small stationery store and found two pairs of table tennis rackets and two pairs of badminton rackets.
Meng Yao took a look and saw that there was a layer of dust on the outer packaging of the racket.
Xu Yao asked the boss to get him another basketball.
There are few people buying basketballs and table tennis around here. It’s not that there are no children to play with, but that most children don’t have time to play at home. They have many things to do, such as doing homework, helping with housework, and even raising cows at home. I have to go to the mountains to see the cows.
The boss went to get a basketball for Xu Yao and asked casually: "Can't you use the basketball you bought last time?"
Meng Yao found out the reason why the boss knew Xu Yao. Xu Yao was probably a regular customer of this store.
Xu Yao replied: "It can still be used, but I only bought one last time, which was not enough for them to play with."
In fact, the basketball in school is no longer usable. Meng Yao thought of the ball that Xu Yao held in his hands in physical education class. The quality of that basketball is mediocre. Even if the students take good care of it, it will always get damaged due to frequent use. When Xu Yao took them to play in the last physical education class, the basketball was already a little deflated.
The boss smiled and said: "Although the basketballs I sell here are not of any brand and are cheap, the quality is quite good."
Xu Yao smiled and nodded.
The boss was busy packing. Meng Yao glanced around the stationery store and suddenly noticed a storage shelf in the corner against the wall with a lot of books piled inside.
Meng Yao walked over and took a look, only to realize that these books were not for sale. They had all been opened and had signs of being read. Some books had deep creases.
She took a quick look and found that most of the books stacked in the storage shelves were historical books. Meng Yao saw a book with "Memory of Old Beijing" written on it, and subconsciously reached out to pick it up.
Someone walked up next to her. She tilted her head slightly and saw that it was Xu Yao.
Xu Yao looked at the book in her hand and saw the title. He suddenly remembered the pictures Meng Yao showed to the students on the computer in class that day. Thinking of what she said, he asked in a low voice: "Do you like Beijing very much?"
Meng Yao was stunned for a moment, not understanding why he asked this, but he understood after looking at the book in his hand.
"Like it." She said looking at the book in her hand.
Xu Yao was not surprised. Outside the classroom that day, although the distance was a bit far, he could still clearly see the content on Meng Yao's computer due to his good eyesight.
Meng Yao introduced her university. When she saw the name of the university on the screen, Xu Yao could almost guess her college entrance examination scores. Xu Yao asked her if she liked Beijing for another reason.
On Meng Yao's computer, he also saw pictures of his school.
Of course, we can also tell which pictures were taken with a mobile phone and which pictures were found online.
He didn't ask much that day, but now he couldn't help but wonder if Meng Yao had ever been to his school.
When Xu Yao asked this question, Meng Yao immediately thought of the class that day. When she found Xu Yao standing outside the classroom, her first reaction was panic.
Even now.
Meng Yao's eyelashes trembled, but she didn't know how to answer. The denial seemed to be untenable because of the photos taken by herself. She had no choice but to lower her head and say "hmm".
She was too cautious and was afraid that Xu Yao would find someone else, so she hurriedly made an excuse.
She said that school had been her dream, so when she went to Beijing, she took the opportunity to visit it, which was a dream come true.
So she likes Beijing.
Xu Yao thought so.
He didn't mention the school anymore. He didn't know if Meng Yao would feel a little regretful for not going to the school of his dreams. Although in class that day, he could tell from his words that Meng Yao also liked the school he attended, but he He also didn’t want Meng Yao to feel lacking.
Xu Yao didn't have the habit of exposing people's wounds, so he ignored the matter and didn't mention it again.
He looked at the books in the storage shelf and said, "The principal wanted to set up a reading room in the school."
"reading room?"
"Yes." Xu Yao nodded, "You can learn extracurricular knowledge."
Meng Yao put away his personal emotions and looked at him: "Then why isn't it set up?"
"There are several reasons." Xu Yao said.
"The most important thing is the lack of funds." He said frankly.
