1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 127 The woman my elder brother likes, the white swan who dances ballet.

Gu Bin went back to his grandfather's house and got Li Liang a set of his own clothes. After all that back and forth, another half hour had passed.

The group bid farewell and left the tarmac at four o'clock in the afternoon.

Fu Zheng saw them off. After the training session, he didn't go home but drove to another place.

His girlfriend practiced ballet since childhood, and did not give up even after her vocal cords were damaged. After she grew up, with the help of the Disabled Persons' Federation, she opened a ballet training class to teach children to dance.

The training course was near her home, but a bit far from the flight squadron; it took more than half an hour to drive there.

Every time Fu Zheng went there, he would park his car across the street from the training center and silently watch her through the first-floor window.

After class, once all the children had left, we locked the door for her and took her home.

This time is no exception.

When he arrived at the training class, it was still in session, and the cheerful laughter of children could be heard coming from under the door.

He stopped the car and looked out the window across the street. Through the security bars, he could vaguely see a graceful and elegant figure.

The woman, dressed in a white dance costume, resembled a swan, raising her graceful neck and twirling her supple waist to the rhythm of the music.

Her pure and innocent figure seemed to transform into a messenger of light, dancing with musical notes; each leap on tiptoe was an interpretation of elegance.

Fu Zheng leaned against the car door, quietly watching this scene, as if time had stood still.

His deep, dark eyes were filled with her reflection; he could no longer see her.

-

Nursery in the western suburbs.

"There's a trick to finding cicada throats. You need to look for small holes that look irregularly shaped and have a thin surface. Use a twig to pry them open, and the hole will become larger. There's a good chance there's a cicada throat inside."

Gu Bin kept his word and led Xu Yi into the woods to teach him the technique of digging out cicada throats.

As instructed, Xu Yi took a small twig and used it to pry open the small hole in the muddy ground. Sure enough, the hole became larger, revealing an eyelet about the thickness of an adult's thumb.

"Don't rush at this time."

Gu Bin, demonstrating by example, pulled him back a little: "Wait a moment and observe whether any snakes will crawl out from inside."

"Uh-huh."

Upon hearing that it was a snake, Xu Yi immediately cowered and obediently took a few steps back.

After a few seconds of silence, the hole remained completely still, without any movement.

"okay."

Gu Bin nodded, gesturing for Xu Yi to come over: "We can start digging now."

"Hey hey hey."

Xu Yi rubbed his hands together, stuck out his buttocks, and started digging around on the ground with a stick.

What was originally a small hole the size of a thumb was dug into a pit the size of a large bowl.

Fortunately, the effort was not wasted. After digging less than ten centimeters, they actually dug out a cicada's throat covered in mud from the bottom of the pit.

The cicada, its claws outstretched, wriggled restlessly a few times in his palm.

If it can move, it means it's alive; the digging wasn't in vain.

"Sister, sister, I've found a cicada's throat!"

The little guy jumped three feet high with excitement.

"You really found it?"

Lin Xiyu ran over from under a tree not far away, her eyes sparkling: "Okay, Grandma's snacks for tonight's drinks are ready."

"I'll join too, let's start digging."

Seeing that Xu Yi had dug up the cicada's throat, Wu Meng perked up and picked up a twig from the ground.

"Spread out, don't gather together."

Gu Bin waved his hand, signaling everyone to disperse.

"Let's have a competition to see who digs the most."

Li Liang grabbed Wu Meng's arm and led her towards the willow grove.

"Hey, hey."

Wu Meng didn't want to go: "Isn't it said that there are a lot of cicadas chirping under the poplar trees?"

"Just follow me."

Li Liang gave her a wink, signaling her not to stay and be a third wheel.

"Uh, okay."

Wu Meng finally understood and gave up the futile struggle.

"Does Grandma like to drink?"

Gu Bin's mind raced when he heard about snacks to go with the drinks.

"Yes."

Lin Xiyu smiled and said, "Your alcohol tolerance is quite good; you always have a few sips during holidays."

"Grandma's snacks with drinks can't be made carelessly."

Gu Bin roused himself, ready to make a big splash: "Looks like I'll have to show some real skills; I have to cook a dish."

"It's already four o'clock, is it too late?"

Lin Xiyu hesitated, "If I don't go home before dark, Grandma will worry."

"It's not too late, watch me."

Full of confidence, Gu Bin walked alone into the depths of the woods.

Lin Xiyu glanced at her younger brother, then at the direction he had left in, remained silent for a few seconds, and then chose to chase after his retreating figure.

"Tsk."

Seeing that his two childhood friends were both in pairs, while he was the only one left, Wang Fan clicked his tongue and felt a pang of jealousy.

"Brother Fan, don't worry, I'm here with you."

Xu Yi, despite his young age, was quite precocious. He stood on tiptoe and patted Xu Yi's shoulder like a little adult.

Hey, you little rascal!

Wang Fan laughed in exasperation: "Who's going to keep whom company? If it weren't for me, would your sister have left so easily?"

"That's true."

Xu Yi chuckled, stopped joking around, and focused his energy back on digging out the cicadas' throats.

"At this rate, how long will it take you? Just wait and see."

Wang Fan didn't have the patience to carefully examine the items. He found a tree branch about a meter long and poked at every hole he saw, prying up the ground nearby.

I must say, this speed is really fast.

Although most of them were abandoned pits with nothing inside, it wasn't a complete loss; he actually managed to catch a few cicadas.

"This looks fun, I want to try it too."

Xu Yi, unable to resist the urge, followed suit and picked up a long twig to poke around on the ground.

The two moved very quickly, and in no time they had turned the area within a ten-meter radius upside down as if they were shoveling up the ground.

"How boring, just a few cicadas chirping?"

Xu Yi looked at the few cicadas in the plastic bag, feeling somewhat unsatisfied.

"There are many snakes and insects in the woods, it's best not to go in."

Wang Fan wasn't interested in digging out cicada throats; he used a twig to tap and knock them to prevent snake and insect bites.

I want to go.

Xu Yi blinked her big, watery eyes and looked at him expectantly.

"I really lost to you."

Wang Fan, a playboy, has absolutely no resistance to cute little kids.

Xu Yi merely pouted, pretending to cry, and he softened.

"Let's make this clear first: there's all sorts of stuff in the woods, so don't cry if you get bitten by a snake."

"Okay, I promise I won't cry."

Xu Yi got his wish, and his eyes lit up instantly.

"Ugh."

Seeing that his expression changed faster than turning the pages of a book, Wang Fan could only sigh in resignation.

-

Gu Bin's high IQ is no exaggeration; he also has exceptionally keen observation skills. He finds cicadas in almost every hole he pries open, never missing one.

Lin Xiyu followed behind him, and the two worked together seamlessly, one responsible for digging and the other for filling.

In less than an hour, they dug up dozens of them, filling more than half a plastic bag.

"That's almost it."

Seeing him pick out another cicada from the hole, Lin Xiyu happily picked it up and said, "It's almost 5 o'clock, we should go home."

"Where are Wang Fan and Xu Yi?"

Gu Bin straightened up and stretched his shoulders.

"I could hear them talking just now."

Lin Xiyu looked around but couldn't find anyone. A little puzzled, she asked, "Where did they go again?" "Ah, there's a snake."

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Yi's terrified scream came from deep within the woods.

Gu Bin picked up a thick wooden stick from the ground and rushed over in one stride.

"Wait for me."

Lin Xiyu was worried about her younger brother and followed closely behind him.

The two rushed over one after the other and saw Wang Fan holding a tree branch, confronting a snake.

The snake was about two meters long, its tail hanging from a tree branch, its head drooping down, and unfortunately, it was hanging right in front of him.

Wang Fan held the branch, afraid to move lest he provoke the snake and give it a kiss.

"Whoosh."

Gu Bin swung the wooden stick and threw it at the snake.

Good aim, hitting the bull's eye.

The snake's head was knocked off course by the stick and fell from the tree. Wang Fan didn't dare to delay and pulled Xu Yi away as they ran.

Gu Bin arrived shortly after and stepped on the snake's vital spot. The snake struggled desperately and coiled around his right leg.

Without thinking, Lin Xiyu picked up a large rock and smashed it at the snake's head with all her might.

One, two, three times, the snake convulsed violently a few times, then fell silent.

"Alright, stop smashing it, it's already dead."

Gu Bin pulled the dead snake off his leg and threw it aside.

"vomit"

Only now did Lin Xiyu's tense nerves relax. Looking at the smashed snake head, her eyelids twitched violently a few times. She ran to the side, leaned against a tree trunk, and vomited.

"Have a sip of water to calm your nerves."

Gu Bin took a bottle of mineral water out of his backpack and handed it to her.

Lin Xiyu rinsed her mouth with water, and it took her a long time to suppress the feeling of nausea.

"Are you okay?"

Gu Bin's eyes showed concern.

"Scared me."

Lin Xiyu only realized what was happening after the snake died, and with tears in her eyes, she rushed into his arms.

"Good job, very brave."

Gu Bin patted her back reassuringly: "You have the composure and fearlessness of a martyr's child in the face of danger."

Oh no, I forgot about that.

When Lin Xiyu heard the word "brave," her heart skipped a beat, and a wave of annoyance washed over her.

Grandma always told her to act weak and vulnerable. If she acted too bravely in front of men, like a tomboy, she wouldn't arouse their strong protective instincts.

No, she has to make amends and make him feel guilty.

"I don't want these empty titles, I'm just scared."

Thinking to herself, she pretended to be terrified and mumbled in a low voice, with a hint of coquetry.

"Hahaha."

Gu Bin couldn't help but laugh out loud when he saw her delicate and pretentious little expression.

"dare you laugh?"

Lin Xiyu frowned slightly and punched him lightly in dissatisfaction.

"What should we do with our spoils of war?"

Gu Bin's smile widened, and he became interested in teasing her again.

"What trophy?"

Lin Xiyu was a little confused.

Gu Bin pointed with his chin at the dead snake: "That's it."

"What would you do with a dead snake?"

Lin Xiyu was indeed provoked again, and her stomach churned once more.

"It's such a waste to throw it away."

Gu Bin smiled jokingly: "This is the first time we've worked closely together, and it would be a shame not to keep it as a souvenir."

"Let's go, let's go, let's hurry home, it'll be dark soon if we don't go back."

Fearing that he would actually take the snake back, Lin Xiyu disregarded her pretense and forcefully pushed him out of the woods.

"Sisters, you've finally come out."

Xu Yi and the others stood outside the woods, still shaken: "Where's the snake? Where did it go? Did it hurt you?"

"With your sister around, what's a snake? Your sister is..."

Gu Bin was about to make a joke when Lin Xiyu covered his mouth.

"What's wrong, sister?"

Xu Yi was engrossed in listening when he was interrupted, which made him feel restless and anxious.

"Did the class representative beat him to death?"

Wang Fan noticed something amiss and grinned slyly, "Oh my god, this woman is fiercer than a snake, a real tigress. Gu Bin, you're in for it. If she's unhappy, you'll be kneeling on a washboard—the ultimate treatment."

Lin Xiyu's face darkened instantly, and she glared at him irritably.

"I'll accept being a tigress."

Gu Bin suppressed a laugh, gently pried the hand covering his mouth, and held it tenderly in his palm: "As for kneeling on the washboard, I believe in myself. I won't make such a low-level mistake and give my wife that opportunity."

"Pah, who's your wife?"

Lin Xiyu's ears burned, and she spat at him, feeling both ashamed and annoyed.

"Grandpa and Grandma both agreed."

Gu Bin retorted righteously, "If you're not my wife, then who is?"

"Your mom hasn't agreed yet."

Lin Xiyu teased him with a smile: "That's the hardest hurdle to overcome. You've been dragging your feet and not daring to let me see her, just because you're afraid your mom will scold you, right?"

"I admit, getting past my mom is a tough hurdle."

Gu Bin did not deny it: "She is too stubborn and headstrong. Even my dad has a hard time persuading her. But it doesn't matter. We'll take it slow. She'll lose her temper over time."

"You're not planning to confront your mother?"

Wang Fan felt a little regretful.

If we don't stand up to them head-on, there won't be any good show to watch.

He wanted to see what the commotion was like.

"No need."

Gu Bin had his own plans: "It will take some time to train the hawk. My mother has a temper; the more you argue with her, the more stubborn she becomes. You can't force her; you have to soothe her."

"Don't you want to settle your marriage early, just like Li Liang did?"

Wang Fan's sly encouragement, seemingly for his own good, was actually a way of watching a good show.

"Yes I do."

Gu Bin squeezed Lin Xiyu's soft little hand and smiled teasingly: "I wish I could marry my wife right now."

"What a beautiful thought."

Lin Xiyu's heart skipped a beat from his teasing, and she shook off his hand, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed.

"An engagement requires the consent of both sets of parents."

Xu Yi blinked his big eyes and suddenly blurted out, "My mom hasn't agreed yet."

"Uh?"

Gu Bin was embarrassed. Only now did he realize that he seemed to have forgotten the most important thing.

He was so focused on pleasing his maternal grandmother that he forgot about his mother-in-law.

He's not a legitimate son-in-law!
"Pfft."

Lin Xiyu rarely saw him in such an awkward situation, and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

-

No. 9, Donghua Street.

The group arrived home safely before dark.

Xu Yi had a sweet tooth, and couldn't wait until the next morning. As soon as he got home, he pestered his grandmother to fry a plate of cicada nymphs for him.

Freshly caught cicadas are incredibly delicious. Fry them in oil, sprinkle with salt, and they become crispy and crunchy—the taste is simply divine.

Xu Yi ate one after another, enjoying them so much that he almost bit off his tongue.

"Don't eat anymore, eating too much at night will cause indigestion."

Chen Xiulan couldn't stand her son's useless attitude, and when Xu Yi picked up the eleventh cicada with his chopsticks, she slapped his hand away in annoyance.

"I want to eat! I want to eat!"

Xu Yi was unhappy and pouted in protest.