I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

That's why, in Chen Junqian's memory, several of his classmates who went to the Shanghai World Expo did so during their summer vacation.

He only needs to pass his final exams to fulfill the promise he made with his parents last year: a trip to the Shanghai World Expo during the summer vacation.

Although his parents had already said that it didn't matter whether he took the exam or not after he was awarded a banner and certificate for "heroic act" more than a month ago, they were even willing to take their son to the Shanghai World Expo as a reward for his performance in the stampede incident.

However, for most students, just like Chen Junqian in his previous life, they were unable to see the Shanghai World Expo in person even after it closed in October. Their impression of the Expo was thus sealed in the image of Haibao, which later disappeared from television.

In this situation, people inevitably start to fantasize about 'if only such an event could be held in their own neighborhood.'

"But I heard from my dad that Guoning is really going to hold a big celebration this year. It seems they are planning to make this year's pecan festival especially grand. I heard they are going to invite several celebrities."

After countless bottles of Mountain Dew that finally earned him the Golden AK for his online crush, Zhong Yu was now nauseous at the sight of carbonated drinks. So even as the weather got warmer, he didn't drink an ice-cold soda like before. Instead, he lay on the table and sipped water from a revolver-shaped water gun.

Because his father is a big boss in this industry, Zhong Yu's words are quite credible. A group of students immediately gathered around. However, Zhong Yu himself couldn't seem to explain it clearly, only saying that his father had mentioned it casually during a meal.

The pecan harvest season in Guoning is in early September every year. Chen Junqian and Lin Mu's relationship improved because of this opportunity last year. The pecan festival is held at the end of September after the pecan harvest. However, in the past, it was basically just a gathering of practitioners in this industry chain and relevant government officials to discuss the future development of the industry. It had nothing to do with these kids.

However, Chen Junqian, as a reborn person, knew that the rumors Zhong Yu heard from his father were indeed true. From the perspective of later generations, this year's pecan festival was, in a sense, like the imperial concubine's visit to her family in "Dream of the Red Chamber." It seemed to have reached its peak of splendor, but it was followed by a decline year after year.

Actually, if possible, Chen Junqian would like to give his good brother a hand, but he would have to wait until the end of this year when Zhang Xinghuo's first online nut store brand, "Ke Ke Guo," is up and running. Only then would he have the capital to convince people. Otherwise, talking about business models and industry transformation with these big bosses who are still making a fortune would just be empty talk.

At lunchtime at the after-school care center, Lin Mu took the initiative to bring up this topic with Chen Junqian.

Nearly a year has passed, and Lin Mu's height has shown a relatively gratifying change. It can only be said that her hard work of eating green vegetables with a bitter face every day and having a cup of Milo at home has not been in vain. However, this gratifying change is only relative to herself.

Compared to her peers, she is still a bit petite, and should sit at the same table as a child a year younger like Chen Xi.

Of course, Chen Junqian would never bring up the height issue in front of Lin Mu, which would make the other party want to pounce on him and bite him. Anyway, it would be fine if he was a little taller, so there wouldn't be any inconvenience when they did anything together. After all, the classic setup for many two-player puzzle games is a tall person jumping and a short person crawling.

“I heard from my dad that he plans to invite several big-name celebrities to perform this time, basically the bigger the better.”

Although he already knew just how amazing the supporting cast was, Chen Junqian still pretended to be clueless and said:

So who are they?

"Well, it seems we're still in contact. My dad said we might invite Jay Chou over. We're currently negotiating his appearance fee with his manager. It would be great if we could get him to come; I really enjoy listening to his songs."

Lin Mu, propping his chin up with his hand and biting his chopsticks, spoke with a hint of uncertainty:

"But my dad said that even if we can invite them over, it would probably only be enough for three or four songs, because their appearance fee is too expensive, and they charge per song, which would add up to several million."

Perhaps it's because he and Chen Junqian often play Monopoly at home during their free time, or perhaps it's simply that once money reaches a certain amount, children no longer have a concrete understanding of it and it's just a number. So when Lin Mu talks about millions, he doesn't feel anything special.

It can only be said that the Guoning walnut industry at that time truly had such deep pockets. Otherwise, Zhang Xinghuo would not have had such difficulty promoting e-commerce. After all, everyone had become accustomed to the current business model and had made a fortune from it over the past ten years, falling into the classic state of being a predator.

"Mumu, which Jay Chou song do you like the most? Or, if Jay Chou really came, which songs would you like him to sing?"

Faced with Chen Junqian's question, Lin Mu thoughtfully chewed on the bitter melon in his mouth for a while before hesitatingly saying:

"I like all his songs. If I could only choose two, I would probably pick 'Sunny Day,' 'Her Eyelashes,' and 'The Promise of Dandelion.' The latter one was recommended to me by Weiwei. It's the background music in the U-Love-Me milk tea commercial. Have you heard it, Qianqian?"

"I heard."

It was even Xu Youwei who hummed it to him right in front of him.

"But I feel like these two might not be selected, since they're both considered love songs?"

Because it was indeed a major event in his childhood, Chen Junqian had a very clear impression of it. The four songs Jay Chou sang at this year's Guoning Hickory Festival were "Chrysanthemum Terrace", "Far Away", "Double Sticks" and "Huo Yuanjia". After all, it did feel a bit strange to sing the songs Lin Mu mentioned in this kind of occasion, and the organizer's requirements this time seemed to be based on traditional Chinese style, so these were the songs chosen.

"Yeah, but I do think Jay Chou's love songs are pretty good. But it would be great if he could come. It would be better if we talked for ages and then he didn't even show up."

"Well, your dad has already gone to such lengths, so I feel there's a pretty good chance we can get them in the end. But if they do come, it'll probably be packed with people."

In Chen Junqian's memory, the time Jay Chou came, the entire Guoning district was truly deserted. He himself had to ride on his father's shoulders to vaguely see the figure on the stage; the rest of the time, he could only look up at the scene on the big screen.

"It's okay, I'll just ask my dad for an extra front-row ticket so Qianqian and I can sit together."

As a major shareholder among the organizers, Lin Mu's father certainly had the ability. However, looking at Lin Mu's naturally smiling face and her matter-of-fact invitation, Chen Junqian felt that he was really going further and further down the path of being a kept man.

Even considering the decline of the Guoning walnut industry in the future, there is a saying that "a lean camel is still bigger than a horse, and a broken boat still weighs three thousand catties." The so-called decline is only relative to the past peak market.

Even if we look at it from more than a decade later, based on the Lin Mu family's assets that he saw, it would definitely be at the level of a county-level Brahman.

Seeing that Chen Junqian didn't immediately agree, Lin Mu became a little nervous and concerned. After thinking for a while, she held up one finger at him again:

"Then I'll ask Dad again to help me get a Jay Chou autograph?"

"...I'm not thinking about that kind of thing."

Chen Junqian couldn't help but shake his head and deny Lin Mu's somewhat excessive reaction.

"So you're worried about whether you're troubling our family or me."

Upon hearing this, Lin Mu reached out and gently poked Chen Junqian's cheek with her finger, looking a bit sulky and not even wanting to eat anymore.

"If Qianqian thinks like that, it means he doesn't consider me his best friend at all. My mom is practically treating you like her own son, and my dad has said that you are smart, sensible, and responsible, and that I should spend more time with you."

"And most importantly, I don't feel anything is wrong with it myself, so how can you assume that? Do you think Qianqian sometimes feels like I'm causing you trouble? Besides, it's only natural for friends to help each other. If I need your help with something, do you think Qianqian wouldn't help me?"

Faced with Lin Mu's sudden, rapid-fire speech, Chen Junqian had no choice but to surrender, admitting that he had overthought things and that he would obediently take his internal ticket and sit with Lin Mu in the front of the audience to watch Jay Chou, whose attendance was still uncertain.

However, just as the other party said, this is probably what the relationship between childhood sweethearts is like. This relationship is not limited to the two people, but also the parents of both sides are quite familiar and affectionate towards each other's children, even treating them as their own children. This is the most unique thing that distinguishes him and Lin Mu from Xu Youwei and Zhu Wenjun.

"Hmm...that's more like it. Don't think like that again."

Seeing Chen Junqian readily raise his hands in surrender, Lin Mu finally nodded with satisfaction and continued eating. She felt that he shouldn't have hesitated on such a trivial matter from the beginning; in fact, even the slightest hesitation would have been a betrayal of their relationship.

However, the next topic Lin Mu brought up was a bit harder for Chen Junqian to agree to, unlike the previous one.

"The class was talking about the Shanghai World Expo today, Qianqian, do you want to go?"

He vaguely remembered that the last time Lin Mu talked to him about this topic was during the National Day holiday last year, but at that time it was just a casual mention. Now, however, he stated his position more clearly:

"I'd also like to go during the summer vacation, but my parents will probably be very busy then. So if your family is going, it would be great if you could take me with you. Of course, I'll bring my own money, so don't worry about that."

"Um... how did you know?"

"It was when I visited your house last time that your aunt told me about it. You had just gotten first place in the grade in the midterm exams, and your aunt casually mentioned the bet between you two, so that's how I found out."

"But Qianqian actually wants to be number one in the grade for the whole year. If I could get number one in the grade... no, class just once, my parents would probably grant me any wish."

Well, it just goes to show that sometimes having such a good relationship between the parents and the two children isn't necessarily a good thing.

In a sense, Chen Junqian, who had been betrayed by his own mother, initially considered carefully choosing his words. However, perhaps because he had just been subjected to such a lengthy and serious discussion about childhood sweethearts, and seeing Lin Mu's clear and transparent eyes staring straight into his, he could only surrender once again and state his thoughts verbatim:

"Actually, it's possible, since my parents will be going, and bringing you along is no problem at all. But I'm going to meet an online friend in person, so I might not be able to spend as much time with Mumu as I want."

"Netizens?"

In an instant, Lin Mu thought of Zhong Yu's online romance, which was quite famous in the class, and almost dropped her chopsticks. She was clearly surprised and blinked at him twice.

"...Online dating?"

"It's not an online romance, just friends who play games together. She is indeed a girl, but she's two years older than us. During the summer vacation, she was practically a middle school student. To be honest, she's about the same age as the brothers, sisters, and cousins ​​that Zhong Yu has met in the game."

Hearing that the other person was two years older than him and Chen Junqian, Lin Mu felt much more at ease, especially after hearing the term "middle school student." After all, how could a middle school student possibly have an online romance with immature elementary school students like them? She could be considered an older sister, okay?

Besides, they're just online friends. After meeting in person once, they'll have to part ways again. It seems like I don't need to think about this kind of thing too much. She can't go to and from school (especially at noon) with Qianqian every day like I do, go to each other's homes on weekends, and sit in the front row to watch Jay Chou's concert in September.

"I see, I understand. Qianqian can go if she wants to. After all, it's really hard to have the chance to meet with netizens from all over the country in person. Even people like Zhong Yu, who are only in the next county, can't meet with each other all the time."

With that, Lin Mu nodded in relief and made this declaration.

She has always been a very generous child. The shade of the slowly growing saplings always attracts other small animals to rest for a while. Lin Mu, who quietly curls up in the innermost corner, doesn't mind that these creatures only stay for a short while and then become passersby in each other's lives.

After all, she was still in the most intimate and unique position where she could smell his scent just by lying there, nuzzle his body when she raised her head, and get a response from him the moment she spoke.

Chapter 58: Schools on Stormy Days Are Always Hotbeds of Stories (Part 2)

June is undoubtedly summer, but apart from the old-fashioned fan in Chen Junqian's classroom, which makes every elementary school student worry that it might fall down when they look up, and the fan still creaking loudly to assert its presence, the students have to figure out their own solutions.

After all, the homeroom teacher who keeps spouting nonsense like "a calm mind brings coolness" actually has air conditioning in his office, you know.

However, precisely because of this, some students suddenly seemed to have a breakthrough during this period and became passionate about learning. They would run to the office to ask questions without fail after each get out of class. Sometimes, if the teacher was busy, they would respectfully say that they would wait by the side. It was truly unbearable heat.

However, for most students who are naturally intimidated by places like offices, this method is obviously not very feasible, so they have to rely on their own abilities in the classroom.

The first change was naturally reflected in clothing. Since the experimental primary school they attended only required students to wear school uniforms and red scarves, and did not have any special requirements for shoes, almost all the boys changed into Velcro sandals overnight without wearing socks.

Although the trade-off is that your feet will get tanned and look like zebra stripes under the sun, they are definitely cool to wear. And considering that there are frequent showers in the summer, these shoes are much more comfortable than those thick black rubber shoes or ordinary sneakers. So what if you step in water?

Then there's the aspect of tools.

For kids like Zhong Yu, whose families are rich... every summer they're decked out in electric fans and iced drinks, but they can only enjoy them during breaks, because if the motor starts during class, the teacher can come down from the podium and confiscate them in a heartbeat.

If all else fails, just buy a folding fan from outside, or simply grab one of those plastic fans that you can get for free on the street every weekend with ads for the mysterious Bo'ai Hospital specializing in men's and women's health. It's not as good as the big palm-leaf fan at grandma's house, but it'll do.

If you don't even have a fan like that, that's okay too. After all, elementary school students are at the age where they are most good at finding their own solutions. In just a few moments, they can fold a few completed test papers into a decent-looking paper fan.

After finally getting through the school day at noon, Lin Mu, who was holding the same electric fan as Zhong Yu, looked quite hot. However, on the way back to after-school care with Chen Junqian, she thoughtfully moved the fan closer to him and then took it back, making sure that both of them could enjoy a precious breeze in the summer.

Of course, since it's already time for school to end, elementary school students naturally have more convenient and quick physical cooling methods.

Soon, the two saw that the freezer in front of the shop was crowded with people, which showed that the popsicle business was indeed good in the summer.

"By the way, does Qianqian's family sell popsicles wholesale?"

"Yes, it was just approved last week, it should last for a while."

Just like buying firecrackers in winter, buying popsicles in summer is always one of the happiest things for children. After all, it is quite satisfying to fill your freezer with dozens of different kinds of popsicles.

The ensuing battle of wits with family over how many popsicles to eat in a day is another matter entirely.

"Hehe, I got mine approved at home too, and I've filled the bottom two cabinets with it. I'll treat you to Chocola and Big Torch next time Qianqian comes over."

However, even if the popsicles at home were delicious, they were now something that couldn't be seen or touched. So the two of them walked toward the freezer of the small shop while talking, since it was indeed easy to want to eat something cold to cool down on this day.

"So what would you like to eat, Qianqian? I'll treat you—as long as it's not too expensive, I should have enough money on me."

After saying that, Lin Mu added and emphasized:

"Don't say 'whatever,' or I'll really give you a free change."

Perhaps only when it comes to popsicles isn't the "whatever" answer so universally applicable, since that brand of popsicles actually exists. However, Chen Junqian himself doesn't dislike them; in fact, he quite likes popsicles with a chocolate and milk flavor. So, in the end, he smiled and replied to Lin Mu:

"Then I'll have whatever you like."

"Okay, let me see what I want to eat... I'll have this then."

After confirming the type of popsicle Chen Junqian wanted, Lin Mu also chose the one she wanted: a popular corn popsicle. It looked like a corn cob, wrapped in a cone-like shell, and the popsicle itself was revealed after biting into it.

Eating popsicles on an empty stomach before a meal might not be good for their digestive system. In order to avoid being scolded by the after-school care teacher, the two found a shady spot to sit and finish their popsicles before returning to the after-school care center.

Actually, when it comes to eating popsicles, Chen Junqian and Lin Mu are both slow eaters. Compared to some of their peers who can bite off half of a popsicle in one go, neither of them is particularly good at it.

Don't ask, the only answer is that biting it makes my teeth and gums hurt, and since I paid for the popsicle, I should eat it slowly to make it worthwhile.