Chapter 3, Early Autumn

It's troublesome, girls want to have long hair. I used to have long hair too, as long as a waterfall. Every time my mother helped me wash my hair, I felt so tired. Later, my mother got busy with work and didn't have time to help me wash it, so I cut my hair. This is much more convenient, and I think it's very cute.

Exams, the start-of-term exam, such simple math problems, I got them all right. Yet she actually said I didn't show my working. What working? For such simple questions, what working is needed? It's all mental calculation. There were two reasoning questions for which I used processes and formulas, and she said that was not acceptable. Why is it not acceptable? It's basic knowledge of linear algebra. Do you know what the most outrageous thing is? She actually told me to grow my hair long, saying that my short hair affects the school's image. She's the one affecting the image; her lion dog hairstyle has long been out of fashion. It's all mental calculation. There were two reasoning questions for which I used processes and formulas, and she said that was not acceptable. Why is it not acceptable? It's basic knowledge of linear algebra. Do you know what the most outrageous thing is? She actually told me to grow my hair long, saying that my short hair affects the school's image. She's the one affecting the image; her lion dog hairstyle has long been out of fashion. She's a teacher; she should just focus on my studies and not my hair. Just because she's a teacher, does that make her so important?

With a hint of dissatisfaction, the little girl began searching elsewhere. Before long, she found a broken clock. She was intrigued by the alarm and the small hammer on it, so she picked it up. For children of this age, being able to disassemble or assemble something by themselves is perhaps more interesting than buying something brand new. Five minutes later, she arrived at the base of the largest garbage mound nearby and looked up.

Is it very long

After school, he has to go back to cook, and then he needs to collect scrap. He often works until after 10 PM, and still has to return to wash his clothes, take a shower, and do his homework. These are all necessary tasks. Occasionally, if he still has energy past midnight, he will fly up to the sky from the balcony, leisurely drifting around the nearby streets and neighborhoods to relax. He observes the pedestrians passing under the streetlights, sits on the rooftop, and looks at the windows of the opposite houses where lights are still on, witnessing the lives of others. Sometimes, he might catch glimpses of very private matters. He currently has no concept of respecting people's privacy, and this tendency to spy is something that everyone likely experiences.

At this time, it was already mealtime for families. A few middle-aged women who had been collecting scraps all day exchanged a few words and prepared to head home. Lan Zi had just finished his meal and parked his tricycle in a sunny spot on the vacant lot. Wearing a mask, he searched through a small pile of garbage nearby for something. Not far away, Coral, also wearing a hat and mask, was striking an iron box with a stone under the eaves, making a clattering sound.

There is nothing useful at all

The landfill is certainly not a clean place, but although the little girl is wearing gloves, she would never run into a heap of garbage to rummage through it. After taking a glance, she was about to walk away when she noticed a piece of wire sticking out from within. This item was of no use to her, but Lan Zi could take it to sell. As she thought this, she pulled it out, and a section of the wire came free, but the remaining part was still embedded inside.

In this manner, on one hand, he is busy, and on the other hand, after learning to fly, he guards a secret. Occasionally, he reads in the treehouse, and at times, he flies in the sky to observe the lives of others, which has created a psychological distance between him and his peers. In the two years since his grandmother's passing, the only true friend he has made is this quirky little girl. Whenever he sees her, Lan Zi is reminded of his companions from the orphanage, recalling Xiao Jiemu. The residential area, including the orphanage, has been burned down, and it seems there is little chance of seeing them again.

After several months of interaction, Lan Zi has come to understand that Xiao Shan Hu enjoys singing, often humming to herself, and her singing possesses a unique charm. However, the songs she sings are not ones that children her age would typically understand. In 1996, cassette players were likely not widely available in China. Most girls in middle and high schools would copy lyrics into their notebooks, and when a new popular song emerged, they would share and transcribe it among themselves. Yet, very few could actually sing them. This was unlike later years when computers became widespread; one could easily enter a computer room and listen to a favorite song for an entire afternoon, emerging able to hum it.

"Lines, linear algebra..." Lan Zi almost moaned as he repeated it, and after a moment he asked, "Then why don't you keep your hair?"

The coral raised its head

Hehe. The little nun laughed in the treehouse, her hands clasped together, "Ami Tofu..."

Lan Zichong rushed over

Coral has always had a consistent interest in electrical appliances, but in this junkyard, there are not many finds. After a short while, she managed to pry open the iron box and, upon dismantling it, found nothing of value. Consequently, she gathered the scrap metal and tossed it into Lanzi's tricycle, setting aside a roll of copper wire separately.

Since the first time she received praise for singing in front of Lan Zi while playing the guitar, the little girl felt quite satisfied. Throughout the late summer, in the warm yellow light of the treehouse, the little girl with a shaved head strumming her guitar and singing became the main melody of this woodland. Occasionally, there would be applause from Lan Zi and the little girl's bell-like laughter. In such an atmosphere resembling a small concert, one might wonder if small animals in the surrounding woods were drawn to the girl's singing, quietly listening in the darkness, though it is hard to say for certain.

Before her words had finished, she felt a slight tremor beside her. At the same time, Lan Zi from the other side had already shouted loudly: "Be careful!"

The solar terms have long indicated the arrival of autumn, but it is not until October that one truly feels the atmosphere of the season. By this time, Coral has gradually adapted to school life, attending classes obediently during the day, returning home for meals after school, and then either going to the treehouse or the junkyard to play with Lanzi. Every Sunday afternoon, she insists that Lanzi take a break, and in the evening, they hold a regular concert. One day in late October, an incident occurred in the junkyard.

During the two years of junior high school, Lan Zi did not make many friends, not due to any shortcomings in his personality or other aspects, but simply because he lived alone and had far more responsibilities than the average child, leaving him with virtually no opportunities to socialize outside of school.

Where is it similar? It is very different, okay...

Electric wire! There is a very long one here, you...

Lan Ziping is usually busy going back and forth, and can only catch a glimpse of the television occasionally at the entrance of the small shop. The little girl sings songs like "The Sound of Waves Still Echoes," "Dream Chaser," and "The Story of Time," and even sings "The Earth" and "Glorious Years" in a somewhat inaccurate Cantonese. Lan Ziping has hardly ever listened to these songs. The little girl's voice is tender yet sweet, and at this moment, it is indeed a form of enjoyment.

Due to their busy work schedules, and considering that it is not ideal to always leave their daughter with a nanny, after this summer, Coral moved in with her grandfather in Yuling and completed her enrollment procedures for the fourth grade at Xinhua Primary School, which Lan Zi had previously attended. This bald little girl, although only ten years old, has always been quirky and independent in her thoughts. It is not hard to imagine that she would think of asking the aunties at the garbage dump about her residence. For Lan Zi, having an additional friend, even if she is four or five years younger, is certainly a joyful matter.

like a little nun

According to the little girl's thoughts, it is a pity that this place is not a big city; otherwise, the two of them could go out to perform on the streets and earn a lot of money, ensuring that they would become wealthy in just a few years. The reason supporting her idea is that last year she sang and danced on the streets of Beijing for two hours, with a large bowl in front of her, which soon filled up. Although she was later pulled back by her family, the income was quite considerable. However, Lan Zi ultimately lacked talent in this area, always making the little girl jump around in frustration, angrily declaring that she would no longer teach her. During their second meeting, she performed by herself, and by the next time they met, she had calmed down. After the performance, she again attempted to force Lan Zi to learn, and thus the days continued in this cycle.

The little girl thought to herself, filled with excitement, and pulled again. In the last rays of sunlight, she exerted herself to pull the electric wire out, just like a little rabbit pulling up carrots. She managed to pull out more than three meters, but when she could no longer pull, she glanced over at Lan Zi, who was also looking at her with a furrowed brow: "It's unstable over there... What are you doing over there?"

That afternoon, they went to school to register. The next day, Lan Zi and Shan Hu each welcomed their first day of school. A few days later, they met in the treehouse as evening approached. Little Shan Hu, carrying a large guitar, sat in the treehouse with a look of indignation: "What kind of school is this? That teacher knows nothing and keeps nagging like a busybody. Who does she think she is?"

The little girl stood there, tilting her head upwards, as the object above collapsed and obscured the last rays of light, resembling the gaping maw of a giant beast ready to swallow her whole. In the next moment, Coral instinctively turned her head to look at Lan Zi, who was still over twenty meters away, her gaze somewhat dazed, still holding onto the electric wire in her hand

What happened

The temperature gradually drops, and the leaves begin to turn yellow, signaling the time to wear two layers of clothing. That evening, the last rays of red glow appeared on the horizon, and the landfill appeared dim and quiet. The glow illuminated the massive mound of garbage, while some individuals searched below for various recyclable materials, with old tricycles parked not far from their owners.

I think it's about the same

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***

When there was nothing to do, Coral wanted to teach Lanzi how to play the guitar. She leaned beside Lanzi, her fingers pressing down: "Remember this... this hand goes here, the right hand goes below... the position of the fingers must be correct and relaxed..." Her fingers moved in the air like noodles, resembling a frightening ghost, "And then remember these sounds..."

For a moment, Coral was strumming the guitar in front of her, and a somewhat unpolished melody echoed through the forest, followed by the clear, childlike voice of a little girl

Let youth stir your hum... The hum draws your dreams, and unknowingly, the history of this mortal world has echoed your smile... The red heart and the blue sky within it create a rhythmic sound... The spring rain does not sleep, and in the nights you once spent alone, the vibrant flowers of youth have bloomed with a rhythmic sound... Hahahaha... The spring rain does not sleep, and in the nights you once spent alone, the vibrant flowers of youth have bloomed with a rhythmic sound... Hahahaha...

She wore a hat, the brim obstructing her view, and only by tilting her head back could she see the scenery above. She noticed that countless objects, large and small, were rolling down from the garbage mountain, which stood over ten meters high. Normally, there were bulldozers to clear the garbage mountain, but at that moment, it appeared almost vertical, suddenly collapsing due to that power line.