Chapter 2, Summer Coral

After his grandmother passed away, he had to scavenge for scraps to make a living and save up for tuition. Lan Zi did not often visit the treehouse, and his interactions with the little girl Xie Shanhua were limited to their meetings there; there was no need for her to truly understand his life. Moreover, while the garbage dump might not seem like much in her imagination, in reality, various items were piled together, and with the summer heat, the overwhelming odors made it far from an ideal place. Even if she were curious, it was certainly not a suitable place to take her for play.

The secret of how Lan Zi was able to reach the treehouse before was not something Xiao Shanhua probed into deeply. It was not that she did not want to know; rather, she was still exploring on her own, trying to find a reasonable explanation for how Lan Zi could ascend the tree without relying on a rope ladder. She even sketched a series of tools in her notebook. Although the drawings were barely recognizable scribbles, Lan Zi occasionally found himself admiring the girl's boundless imagination as she explained them. Due to this imagination, the treehouse had transformed remarkably over the past half month.

As the sun sets in the west, the boy pushing a tricycle waves goodbye to the girl holding a popsicle at the edge of the woods. Every time they reach this spot, Xie Shanhua insists that there is no need for a send-off, as she can return on her own

Indeed. She lowered her head and said, "However, I will come back during the winter break, so you must take good care of our base."

The moon sets and the crows cry, always accompanied by the sound of the wind and frost, the waves still roar, yet the night of yore is nowhere to be seen. Today, you and I, how do we continue this rhythm... This old boat ticket, can it... Ah—" Unsteady on her feet, the little girl fell to the ground with a thud

Aren't you afraid of falling down

In the scorching summer of August, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the leaves, its brilliance seemingly imbued with magic. A rope ladder hung down from the simple treehouse. On a leisurely afternoon, two individuals sat inside the treehouse; Lan Zi was reading a book, while Xiao Guangtou was sketching and writing with paper and pen

There are many good things

Between languages, there is a certain sense of sympathy; after all, scavenging is not a commendable activity. A lovely little girl born into such a family would likely not have an easy life, along with the *illustrated* books. Being regarded as her own sister, Lan Zi also felt somewhat awkward but was unable to explain.

Then I have nowhere to go either

Little Baldy struggled to navigate through the weeds and thorns, running around the large tree, observing everything around him. He then began to knock and tap under the treehouse, appearing quite serious, resembling a professional researcher on television, which looked rather amusing. However, the treehouse was built on branches six or seven meters high, so no matter how much he knocked, he was unlikely to fall. After observing for a while, he sat down under the tree to write and draw in his notebook, occasionally biting the pen and tilting his head in thought. After one or two hours of this, he finally left with a distressed expression, holding his notebook.

This. Coral raised the broken radio she had picked up from the garbage heap, and Lan Zi bumped her head against the nearby tree trunk: "I am truly scared of you... I will treat you to an ice pop, but please don't come tomorrow, okay?"

The structure of this treehouse is unreasonable; it will collapse in the future. Look, this is the design drawing I made

The originally simple treehouse has been reinforced with an additional layer, painted with various colorful sprays, and now appears vibrant inside. Small windows have been added, along with a roof to increase the light. This is not Lan Zi's residence; she only visits occasionally. However, every few days when she comes to check, she notices that the treehouse has changed its appearance, now resembling the dwelling of a witch from a fairy tale. Lan Zi is particularly concerned that the treehouse is built to a height of two stories, and it is unimaginable what would happen if this quirky little bald head were to fall. Nevertheless, the little bald head has tied a spring rope around herself. On one occasion, when Lan Zi came over, she saw her sitting on a branch, spraying paint on the treehouse, her feet swinging in the air, which left her feeling somewhat helpless.

The little girl looked quite pitiful. In the following days, under the eaves of the slightly more pleasant-smelling administrator's room at the junkyard, there was a little girl wearing a hat and a mask, squatting there, tapping and knocking. Dressed like a little worker, she carried a hammer, a screwdriver, and tweezers. Occasionally, she would run over to Lan Zi's tricycle to rummage through it. She would go home for lunch and a bath, and then come back in the afternoon, eating an ice pop by the roadside before rushing back in to search for treasures. Because she was so cute, the older women picking up scraps nearby all liked her: "Whose little girl is this?"

Lan Zi was taken aback; indeed, the treehouse was suspended six or seven meters high on the branches, with no ropes hanging down and no long ladder to ascend. How did he get up there... How should this be explained...

Lan Zi and several aunties who were having lunch gathered under the eaves to listen. Xiao Shanhua took off her mask, stretched lazily, her forehead glistening with beads of sweat. The ground was covered with the parts she had dismantled, and her open notebook was filled with colorful doodles and equations: "I knew this one was still good..."

Are you going to travel?

"Impressive..." Little Baldy looked at Lan Zi's patched travel bag with unhidden envy. For her, such a journey must be quite an extraordinary feat, comparable to the Journey to the West.

A few days later, Lan Zi hung a large net that he had salvaged from the garbage dump in mid-air beneath the treehouse. It was likely discarded by a nearby circus. Although it had a hole in it, the remaining part was still sufficient to catch a child.

The little girl brought the cleaned radio back to the treehouse. In the following days, she continued to enthusiastically rummage through the clutter at the junkyard, even managing to piece together a table lamp from some discarded electrical materials, which she gifted to the kindest auntie she knew. This continued until the end of August

The next day, Xie Shanhua appeared again at the garbage dump, as usual, tapping and knocking under the eaves

Yes, I promised you that you could treat me to ice pops, but I did not promise that you would not come today

Unexpectedly, Xiao Guangtou is actually a girl, ten years old this year, with the surname Xie and the given name Shanhua. She is not a local from Yuling, as her accent reveals a hint of Beijing. Her parents are likely busy with work, so during the summer vacation, they sent her to stay with her grandfather. However, it seems that her grandfather does not pay much attention to her, and she runs outside every day. After discovering the treehouse in the jungle, she seemingly found a treasure, coming every day to read books and take naps. Occasionally, she takes her notebook to write and draw. The little girl's talent for doodling is quite limited; many of her drawings are incomprehensible to Lan Zi, appearing as a dark, indistinct mass.

Before long, the path led to a villa on a nearby hillside. Coral kicked the door of the villa forcefully, and soon the door opened. A woman, appearing to be in her forties and resembling a housekeeper, came out to welcome her inside. Lan Zi cautiously lowered her altitude and, through the large window beside her, could see the little bald head leaning on the table, conversing with an elderly man with white hair. It seemed to be the grandfather she often mentioned.

He dragged the rope ladder, flew up to the treehouse, coiled the ladder and threw it inside, then soared into the higher sky, emerging from the dense foliage of the treetops

What a strange person... What exactly do you want to do...

The next day, he wandered around the forest near the treehouse for a while. While hiding behind a tree, he saw the little bald boy sneaking over again. The child, around ten years old, was dressed neatly in a checkered shirt and jeans, holding a notebook in one hand and a pen in his mouth, looking quite quirky. Due to the androgynous appearance, it was hard to determine the child's gender at that age. Although the child had a delicate and pleasing appearance, he guessed it was a boy, as a girl would not likely be walking around with a bald head.

Are you really a scavenger? But you don't look like one

***

A few days later, they became friends

Good afternoon to all listeners ... This is ... Now it is ...

Where is the landfill? Can I go play with you?

He looked up at the protective net above, then tugged at the rope ladder that hung down to the ground. Without any warning, his legs left the ground, and the secret of how to ascend and descend the treehouse, which the little girl named Coral had been wanting to know all summer, finally revealed itself

Alright, let's have some ice pops

Lan Zi is laughing in the sky while holding her stomach

After glancing a few times, he soared into the sky, flying over the river that runs through the center of the city, beginning his journey. ... Thus, back and forth, by the time he returned to Yuling, it was already five days later. With the school term approaching, he thought Coral had already returned to Beijing, but unexpectedly, she had not left and had even found her place of residence.

What good things are there

"Is the one who came with Xiao Lanzi Lanzi's younger sister?"

Lan Zi was startled and almost wanted to rush over to catch her, despite the risk of exposure. Who would have thought that the little girl was swinging in the air, tied to a thick rope, continuously bumping against the tree trunk? While she reached out to stop the impact, she laughed happily: "It's just like bungee jumping; I've wanted to try this for a long time..."

School is about to start, and Dad might come to pick me up tomorrow...

On the third day, the sound of a broadcast came from under the eaves.

... ...

Ah. That little bald head stood up straight, and after locking eyes with him for two seconds, turned and ran, crashing into a tree behind him with a bang, crouching down while covering his nose: "You, you, you... you are the monster living in the tree..."

This situation lasted for two to three days, and by July 10th, it became quite absurd. Lan Zi was watching him approach from the edge of the woods. Under the blazing sun, a small bald head reflected a persistent light. The other party was evidently fully equipped today, with a heavy rope loop slung over his shoulder, a tripod on his back, and complex instruments like binoculars attached to the tripod. He was also carrying a large box in both hands. Such a heavy burden bent him over, making his pace extremely slow as he climbed uphill, entering the woods, already drenched in sweat. The heavy rope loop was slung over his shoulder, a tripod was on his back, and complex instruments like binoculars were attached to the tripod, while he carried a large box in both hands. This heavy burden bent him over, and he walked extremely slowly, taking one step at a time uphill, entering the woods, already drenched in sweat.

Xie Shanhua, can't you go play somewhere else? On such a hot day, what is there to enjoy in a garbage heap?

There is no meaning at home; my parents say they are busy with work and sent me to stay with my grandfather. However, my grandfather is also very busy, and I am always alone at home

Okay

You promised me

After entering the woods, there was a slope, and he struggled considerably. Lan Zi watched him from behind, gliding through the grass like a ghost, occasionally ascending to the branches. Finally, with a thud, the little bald head fell heavily into the grass, the box rolling more than two meters behind him, tools such as a hammer, pliers, and tweezers spilling out and scattering everywhere. The little bald head sat on the ground, panting heavily, looking quite pitiful. After a while, he finally got up to tidy the box. Lan Zi could no longer bear to watch and sighed as he stepped forward: "Shall I help you carry it?"

The first time I saw that little bald head was on July 5th, shortly after the summer vacation began. He was sitting in the treehouse reading a book, and I vaguely felt that something was amiss. Peering out from the doorway, I caught sight of a pair of eyes in the grass below, and then the child quickly turned and ran away.

Little Coral turned her head and said, "I won't fall down... ah—" and then she fell down.

I would like to know how you got up there

The forest stretches out in all directions like a sea. He flies towards the edge of the forest, as if walking above this expanse of trees, and then ascends to a higher altitude. In the distance, there are magnificent rocky mountains with karst topography, their verdant trees contrasting with the scattered city lights appearing on the other side of the forest, a warm yellow glow flickering along a nearby path.

However, on the day of August 10, precisely at noon, Lan Zi, wearing a mask, was rummaging through a mountain of garbage. A small figure appeared on the road above, a little girl named Xie Shanhua, who was wearing a hat. Dressed in a consistently neutral manner, she squatted by the roadside and watched for a long time before waving over: "Lan Zi! Lan Zi!" He felt somewhat helpless at that moment

He followed from the sky, the mugwort around the path swaying like waves in the evening breeze, while the little girl held the flashlight, swaying it as she walked, humming a song to herself, her voice clear and soft

Indeed, let's take a walk around

However, despite her envy, as the sky darkened, she ultimately had to return home. The two waved goodbye on the hillside at the edge of the woods. Lan Zi returned to the area beneath the treehouse, took out a thicker jacket from her backpack, put it on, and then retrieved her motorcycle helmet before finally putting the backpack on.

As she said this, she was sitting on the grass beneath the treehouse, playing with a flashlight. The sky was nearing dusk, and the forest had first grown dark. A travel bag was placed by Lanzi's feet, and she was dressed in clean and tidy clothes: "Is summer vacation almost over? Is your home in Beijing?"