My IQ has been increasing year by year.

August 31st.

Five o'clock in the morning.

Zeyang City is still asleep.

A few dim stars still hung in the sky, and the air was filled with the unique coolness of early morning.

The lights in Chen Zhuo's house were on.

Chen Jianguo got up very early. He put on a pair of gray trousers and a clean white shirt.

Walking into the bathroom, I turned on the faucet, and the sound of running water was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

Chen Jianguo splashed cold water on his face twice and then haphazardly dried it with a towel.

In the kitchen, Liu Xiuying had already gotten up.

The gas stove was on a low flame, and a few white-shelled eggs were bubbling away in the pot.

On the cutting board were pieces of braised beef shank that had been cooked the night before.

Liu Xiuying took a cleaver, cut the beef into large chunks, put them into a clean, transparent plastic lunchbox, closed the lid, and tightened it. She then took a few clean plastic bags, took out the boiled eggs, rinsed them in cold water, and put them in the bags.

Along with several bottles of mineral water and four large Fuji apples, they were all stuffed into a sturdy, large plastic bag.

Chen Zhuo's door opened.

He was wearing a clean white short-sleeved shirt, light blue sweatpants, and white sneakers.

She carried the black bag she usually used to go to school on her back.

The bag contained his admission notice and a copy of his household registration book.

"Are you up?"

Liu Xiuying came out of the kitchen, carrying a heavy plastic bag in her hand.

"Mm." Chen Zhuo nodded.

He went to the bathroom to wash up.

Soon, the family of three met in the living room.

No one spoke; the atmosphere was filled with the tense feeling that comes with leaving on a long journey.

The suitcase was leaning against the door. Chen Jianguo walked over, bent down, and grasped the side handle of the suitcase with his right hand.

"Let's go."

Chen Jianguo said something.

He didn't pull the lever to let the wheels roll on the ground, afraid of making too much noise in the stairwell early in the morning and waking up the neighbors.

He simply picked up the large suitcase with one hand, pushed open the door, and walked out.

Chen Zhuo followed closely behind, while Liu Xiuying walked at the very back.

She closed the wooden door and then pulled open the outer metal security door.

I turned the key twice.

Not feeling reassured, Liu Xiuying reached out and grabbed the handle of the security door, pulling it outwards twice with force.

The iron gate made a dull thud, but remained motionless.

She then turned around, carrying the plastic bag in her hand, and walked downstairs in the dim light of the stairwell.

The hallway was quiet, with only the sound of Chen Jianguo's leather shoes clicking on the steps.

The air was fresh in the early morning, carrying the scent of dew and earth.

The black Santana 2000 was parked between two old locust trees not far away.

A thin layer of white frost-like morning dew covered the roof and windshield of the car.

Chen Jianguo walked over and placed the red suitcase on the ground at the back of the car.

He didn't rush to open the trunk.

He took a dry rag out of his pocket and walked around to the front of the car.

First, wipe the dew off the windshield little by little, then wipe the side mirrors until they are sparkling clean.

After wiping the windows, he walked around the car, stopping at each tire and kicking the side of each tire a couple of times to listen to the sound and check the tire pressure.

After confirming that all four tires were fine, Chen Jianguo walked to the back of the car, draped a rag over his shoulder, and reached into his pocket for his car keys. Just then…

A series of urgent noises came from the direction of the large iron gate of the family compound.

The sound of the bicycle chain screeching violently carried far in the quiet courtyard in the early morning.

Then came a jumble of wheels rolling over the potholes.

Chen Jianguo stopped taking out his keys and turned to look at him.

Liu Xiuying and Chen Zhuo also looked in the direction of the sound.

A silver Giant mountain bike sped out from the thin mist beyond the gate.

The cyclist wasn't tall, but he was very big.

He was sticking his butt out and pedaling the pedals with all his might, making the handlebars twist and turn.

The distance has decreased.

I got a clear look at that chubby face.

Zhang Qiang.

His hair was a mess, like a bird's nest, and his forehead was covered in sweat.

Zhang Qiang pedaled his bike and sped all the way to the Santana.

He suddenly slammed on both brakes.

The tire left a black mark on the concrete, making a screeching sound.

He was panting heavily, with one foot on the ground.

His chest heaved violently.

"Qiangzi?"

Liu Xiuying froze, then took two steps forward.

"Why did you come here so early in the morning? Where's your dad?"

Zhang Qiang didn't have time to speak. He first raised his arm and wiped the sweat off his face haphazardly with the hem of his jersey.

"My dad...my dad didn't come."

He caught his breath.

"He received a phone call late last night saying that there was a problem with the goods on the provincial highway, so he took a car and left overnight."

Zhang Qiang swallowed hard, looking at Chen Zhuo standing by the car door.

"I know you left early this morning, so I set an alarm in my room."

"I got up at 4:30 and rode my bike here."

Jinxiu Garden is located in the city center area.

It takes at least half an hour to cycle from here to the Sunshine Family Compound.

We still had to cross several major intersections.

A twelve-year-old boy, in the early morning darkness, pedaled his bicycle across most of Zeyang City, sweating profusely.

I just wanted to get here before the car started moving.

Chen Jianguo looked at Zhang Qiang, who was covered in sweat, and didn't say anything, but just reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

"Alright, move the car to the side."

Zhang Qiang nodded, tilted his body, kicked down the ladder of his mountain bike, and stopped it next to the old locust tree.

He walked to the back of the car.

I glanced at the big red suitcase on the ground.

Without saying a word.

Zhang Qiang bent down and grabbed the top handle and side pulls of the box with both hands.

"Hi!"

He gritted his teeth, his cheeks bulging, and forcefully lifted the heavy box above his knees.

Chen Jianguo originally wanted to lend a hand, but seeing Zhang Qiang's stubbornness, he withdrew his hand.

He took the key and turned the trunk.

Zhang Qiang held his breath and steadily placed the box into the innermost part of the trunk.

then.

boom!

He reached out and grabbed the trunk lid, pulling it down heavily.

It emitted a dull, loud thud.

Locking mechanism.

Zhang Qiang turned around and wiped the sweat from his palms on his pants.

He looked at Chen Zhuo standing to the side.

The sky was beginning to brighten, and we could see the expressions on each other's faces.

Zhang Qiang exuded a mixture of drowsiness from just waking up and excitement from vigorous exercise.

He looked at Chen Zhuo and spoke in a muffled voice.

"Brother Zhuo, you're really gone?"

Chen Zhuo held onto the back door handle of the Santana.

He looked at Zhang Qiang's forehead covered in sweat, and the shoulders of his jersey that were slightly damp with dew.

"Okay, I'm leaving."

Chen Zhuo paused for a moment.

"Next week, the No. 1 Middle School in the city will start, and you'll be a junior high student there. Be smart."

"Look through those notebooks I left you often."

Hearing these words, Zhang Qiang grinned, his eyes narrowing into slits, revealing two rows of white teeth.

"Alright."

Zhang Qiang took half a step forward.

"When you go to Huizhou, eat more meat. My dad told me that the portions there are small."

"Don't be upset about the food or you'll get too thin. If you need anything, just tell me on the phone and I'll have my dad send it to you."

Chen Zhuo looked at the fat man.

He nodded.

"understood."

He opened the black car door.

"Let's go back. Take advantage of the cool morning and ride slowly."

Zhang Qiang stood still and nodded heavily.

On the other side, Liu Xiuying had already opened the passenger door.

She carefully placed the large plastic bag containing beef and boiled eggs on the foot mat under the seat.

Then he sat down inside.

Chen Jianguo opened the driver's side door and got in.

Chen Zhu bent down and sat in the spacious back seat.

Several car doors closed one after another.

Chen Jianguo inserted the key into the keyhole.

Depress the clutch and turn the key.

The Santana's engine made a smooth start-up sound, and a wisp of white smoke rose from the exhaust pipe.

Chen Jianguo reached out and turned the air conditioner knob, and a blast of cold air immediately blew out of the vent.

Liu Xiuying rolled down the passenger window.

She peeked out and looked at Zhang Qiang standing under the tree.

"Qiangzi, go back to sleep! Keep your bike to the side of the road and be careful!"

Zhang Qiang stood there, wiping away sweat.

"Okay, Auntie! Uncle Chen, drive carefully! Brother Zhuo, have a safe trip!"

Chen Jianguo lowered the driver's side window and waved to Zhang Qiang.

The black Santana 2000 slowly started moving, its tires crunching over a few fallen leaves on the ground, heading towards the gate of the residential compound.

Chen Zhuo sat in the back row.

The car was spacious, and he leaned back quietly on the fabric seat.

He didn't turn his head.

He simply turned his gaze to the car window, looking at the rearview mirror attached to the door.

In the mirror.

The chubby figure stood under the old locust tree.

Zhang Qiang neither waved nor chased after the car.

He straddled the silver mountain bike, one foot on the ground.

I watched quietly as the black sedan drove further and further away.

Until the car turned a corner and drove out of the large iron gate.

In the rearview mirror, Zhang Qiang and the old locust tree, along with the rows of dilapidated tenement buildings, disappeared from sight.

Outside the residential compound, there is a straight road.

There were almost no cars on the road in the early morning, and the shops on both sides were closed with their roller shutters tightly shut.

Occasionally, a few sanitation workers wearing orange vests would sweep the roadside with large brooms, making a swishing sound.

The Santana drove through the empty streets, heading out of the city.

"This child is very thoughtful."

Liu Xiuying sat in the passenger seat, sighed, and rolled up the window.

"He rode his bike all the way here just to see me. Qiangzi is such a good kid."

Chen Jianguo looked at the road ahead and nodded.

"Old Zhang is an honest man, and his son is a kind and loyal child."

The car drove out of the city.

The buildings on both sides began to decrease, and were replaced by vast expanses of farmland and forest.

The road surface has also changed from asphalt road to a national highway paved with cement.

Occasionally, I can feel a slight bump when the tires go over the seams.

The sun has already risen on the distant horizon.

The light was a deep red, not too bright, but it stained the clouds on the horizon orange.

The light shone on the car window and penetrated into the cabin.

Chen Jianguo reached out and pulled down the sun visor.

"Xiao Zhuo."

Chen Jianguo looked at his quiet son in the rearview mirror.

"If you get sleepy, lie down on the back seat and take a nap. The journey is still long."

"Not sleepy."

Chen Zhuo replied.

He watched the poplar trees receding past the window.

In my mind, there are memories of Zeyang City: the ceiling fan in the Sunshine Family Compound, the laboratory of the No. 1 Middle School, and the pile of toy cars in Zhang Qiang's house.

They are being packaged and sealed away little by little.

The black Santana 2000 traveled south along National Highway 104.

The wheels rolled forward.

They completely left the small town of Zeyang behind.