Chapter 6, The Incident of the Single Dog's Abuse and Murder

"In any case, I don't like it this way," Xu Haibo said. "If you like someone, be together; if you don't, then part ways. Isn't it exhausting to keep proving this and that? And then there's the tendency to casually mention breaking up, making the man beg her not to break up as a way to prove how much he likes her. I think that's just being difficult. Such women should be avoided as much as possible."

Xu Ruofan said: "This indicates that he truly loves Sister Anran, perhaps it is precisely because of this that he successfully took her away from her ex-boyfriend"

When Xu Ruofan woke up, he saw Xu Haibo still sleeping beside him. The early morning was chilly, and he was curled up in the blanket, with only half of his head exposed.

It was a little past 2 o'clock, I didn't check the time, it was too late, I didn't wake Haibo up, Aunt Chen and I were sleeping in our room, your dad and the others were sleeping next door, in the latter half of the night, the snoring of these two was in sync, like thunder, didn't you hear it

Xu Ruofan sat up, pulled open the curtains, and saw her mother standing at the kitchen door across from her, saying to her younger brother, "Ding Ding, go call your sister and the others to get up for breakfast"

If Fang's father walked to the edge of the cliff, under the applause and encouragement of Hai Bo's father, he took a chance and shouted towards the cliff: "Song Shuping!" After shouting, he took a deep breath, but the second half of the sentence was stuck in his throat for a long time and he couldn't say it out loud. With a flushed face, he smiled and waved his hand to retreat.

It is somewhat effective, but it can indeed easily move a girl, especially if she already has a bit of interest in him; it is very easy for her to fall for him.

No matter how beautiful it is, it is useless; the girl who likes you must have something wrong with her head

Xu Haibo reflected on the events of the past half day and truly could not understand why she was unhappy

Xu Ruofan patted Xu Haibo and said, "Get up."

Haibo's father mocked, saying: "What do you call this? Where has the enthusiasm from back in the day when girls shouted under the dormitory gone? Coward! So cowardly!"

Xu Ruofan smiled and said, "I really didn't hear anything."

Xu Ruofan looked at his mocking expression, clearly indicating that he underestimated her, believing that no boy would like her. She shot him an unhappy glance and said, "None of your business"

"I was still lying in bed when I came out; by now, I suppose they have also gotten up," Xu Ruofan replied

Are you still talking in your sleep early in the morning, not yet awake?

Xu Haibo was somewhat surprised: "He doesn't look like someone who would get into a fight."

If Fang's mother stands at the door, she teases her husband: "Look at them."

Xu Ruofan came to his senses and said with indifference, "It's nothing," before returning to the room

Outside the courtyard, we have all finished eating, just you two are left, hurry up and eat. " Ruofan's mother served a bowl of porridge to Xu Ruofan and said, " Once we finish eating, we will head up the mountain. It's not just our family, we shouldn't keep others waiting.

If Fan's mother said: "Come on, you took your family's watermelon to school to sell, and in the end, you were left with a few that couldn't be sold and brought them to me, thinking I wouldn't know."

Xu Haibo smiled, walked forward for a while, then leaned closer to Xu Ruofan, half-seriously and half-jokingly asking: "Seriously, do any boys pursue you?"

The mountain is not very high. A group of people walked and paused for about two hours before reaching a high platform with an expansive view. The boss said that it becomes somewhat steep if they go higher and advised against proceeding, fearing potential dangers

Xu Haibo stood by the fence and shouted twice towards the cliff, the echoes attracting Xu Ruocheng over, and the two stood at the edge of the cliff competing in their vocal strength

Hai Bo's mother muttered, "He's just lazy," and went back inside to wake Xu Haibo up.

If Fang's mother served Xu Haibo a bowl of hot porridge, she would go back to the house to pack the things needed for the mountain climb

While everyone was laughing, Xu Ruofan inadvertently caught a glimpse of Fang Zhe and An Ran. He saw Fang Zhe sitting back beside An Ran, gently kissing her forehead while holding her hand. An Ran did not look at him, but slightly blushed and leaned against him.

Xu Haibo saw Xu Ruofan standing at the door, staring blankly at the faucet in the yard, and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

As Ruofan's father made a gesture inviting him to come over, Haibo's father strode confidently to the edge of the cliff, cleared his throat, and shouted: "I ... ... love ... ... you ... ..." Just as everyone was about to applaud and cheer, unexpectedly, the word "you" from Haibo's father soared with a rising tone, followed closely by a heartfelt rendition of the line, "The snow of the northern frontier ... ..."

Only the two of them were in the room, and the younger brother was also absent. Xu Ruofan glanced to the right of Xu Haibo, where two beds were clearly made up, indicating that someone had slept there, and they had only been folded in the morning. It was likely that after the adults finished their card game last night, seeing Haibo sound asleep, they couldn't bear to wake him and allowed him to continue sleeping in this room.

Xu Ruocheng was lounging in a deck chair in the yard, playing Xu Haibo's game console, too lazy to move. He shouted towards her, "Sister! Get up! It's time to eat!"

It is not to say that girls want boys to fight for them as proof of their affection; in fact, girls do not enjoy seeing boys fight for them. What they appreciate is the feeling of 'he is striving for me,' the notion of fighting for me

If Dad laughs heartily: "Just tell me whether you have eaten my watermelon or not."

Xu Ruofan caught up with Xu Haibo and walked alongside him. Xu Haibo asked her if she had known Fang Zhe and An Ran before. Xu Ruofan briefly shared some rumors about Fang Zhe and An Ran with him

At the edge of the cliff, iron railings and chains blocked the way, while the group sat on a large rock nearby, resting and chatting. It was a small area, occupied solely by their group.

Aren't your feet hurting? I bought a basin; you can soak your feet in it for a while and you'll feel much better. I also bought some food.

Xu Haibo felt somewhat bewildered. Clearly, she had been lively and bantering with him in the morning, but for some unknown reason, she suddenly seemed downcast. He followed her into the room and saw Xu Ruofan sitting on the sofa, lost in thought, doing nothing. He asked with concern, "Are you alright? What’s wrong?"

If Fan's father said: "When you compare yourself to the young ones, back in our school days during the hot summer, I rode a tricycle for dozens of miles to deliver watermelons to you, why don't you mention that?"

Regarding her father's watermelon selling and gifting, Xu Ruofan had actually heard her parents mention it many times. Perhaps it was because she had just indulged in several servings of dog food at the mountaintop, and now her parents casually brought up their college romance, which made her feel even more sentimental. She couldn't help but think that she was already in her second year of college and still had no potential romantic interests. She suddenly recalled Xu Haibo's joking remark earlier when they were climbing the mountain, saying that no boys liked her. Although she knew he was just teasing her as usual, it was hard not to feel a sense of melancholy.

While the two families were joking and laughing, Fang Zhe unknowingly walked to the edge of the cliff. After standing there for a while, he suddenly shouted three times towards the abyss, "Anran, I love you!" The echoes were distant, resonating throughout the valley

"Regardless of whether there are pitfalls, there are still people who like it." Xu Haibo looked at Xu Ruofan and said with a smile, "Are there any boys who like you?"

Xu Ruofan asked: "Are you able to do it? If you are tired, then don't go later. Just take a good shower and catch up on some sleep indoors. After all, climbing a wild mountain probably won't be anything new."

Xu Ruofan gazed in astonishment at the past; although the confession had nothing to do with her, she still felt a flush of embarrassment and a racing heart. Turning to look at An Ran, she saw her cheeks slightly flushed, her eyes filled with brilliance as she stared at Fang Zhe's retreating figure

Perhaps it was because the warm light enveloping the two of them appeared excessively beautiful at that moment, or perhaps it was simply due to their striking looks. Xu Ruofan felt as though he was witnessing a picturesque scene that could only be found in a movie or novel, and a sense of envy arose within him

When the mother and daughter were talking, Xu Haibo entered the kitchen

"It's nothing, I'm a bit tired and want to sleep," Xu Ruofan said as she climbed onto the kang, drew the curtains, pulled apart her quilt, and burrowed in, lying down with her back to Xu Haibo.

Xu Ruofan expressed fatigue, stating that after finishing the meal, he needed to have a good long sleep. Anran also mentioned that her feet were sore. Ruofan's father remarked that the younger generation is increasingly reluctant to move, and that they are not as physically capable as their elders.

If Fang's mother saw Xu Ruofan sitting in the room, waving at her through the window, knowing that she was awake, she would not pay any more attention to her younger brother

Xu Haibo took a sip of porridge and said, "It's nothing, it will be fine in a moment"

How do you know that I don't have a girlfriend

Xu Ruofan had a light breakfast and quickly finished eating. However, seeing that Xu Haibo had not yet finished, he was concerned that if he left first, Haibo's mother would come and nag him again, so he did not rush to leave and instead helped him peel the eggs. By the time the two of them finished their breakfast, the others had already tidied up, and the boss led the two families along with Fang Zhe and An Ran into the mountains

Xu Haibo and Xu Ruocheng, feeling tired, sat down next to Xu Ruofan and started playing a hand-slapping game. Xu Ruocheng lost several rounds in a row and kept getting slapped. Xu Ruofan rolled up his sleeves and joined the fray, but ended up getting slapped a few times by Xu Haibo as well. Xu Haibo laughed triumphantly, and Xu Ruofan grabbed his arm, urging Xu Ruocheng to hit him back for revenge. Xu Ruocheng said that a man should not play dirty and must accept the consequences of the bet, earning a few smiles and compliments from the adults.

Xu Haibo greeted Xu Ruofan, saying: "Why don't you join in and shout too?"

Xu Haibo said: "I think it is quite foolish to fight to the point of breaking arms and legs for a girl"

This mountain was only developed last year, and there is only a section of artificially paved stone steps at the entrance. Beyond that, the path is formed by foot traffic, and in some places, climbing requires the use of both hands and feet. However, it is not particularly steep. Xu Ruofan found it quite interesting to hike on such a "wild mountain" for the first time

There are so many that the line here could stretch all the way down the mountain

Both Ruofan's mother and Haibo's mother laughed and said how long it had been since they had heard that phrase. The two middle-aged men also teased each other, and in the end, Ruofan's father was playfully pushed to the edge of a cliff by the other three, being urged to make a heartfelt confession to Ruofan's mother

Where have you been? Anran asked

So you girls insist that only when men fight to the point of injury does it prove their affection for you

Where are my dad and the others? Xu Ruofan asked

"Hmph." Xu Ruofan shot him a glare

She greatly admires her parents and Haibo's parents. Last night, they played cards for half the night, and this morning they got up early. Now, she is surprisingly energetic, climbing the mountain, leading her brother along with the owner of the farmhouse. At first, she walked behind with Fang Zhe and An Ran, chatting as they went. However, An Ran seemed to lack stamina and soon said she was tired and needed to rest, quickly falling behind the others by a considerable distance.

Everyone laughed heartily, and even Fang Ma did not appear disappointed, smiling more joyfully than anyone else

Wow, you can even speak English, but is that the only sentence you know

Everyone burst into laughter, and Xu Haibo repeatedly gave his father a thumbs down. Xu Haibo's father confidently laughed and said: "Doesn't your mother's name contain 'Xue'?"

Although Xu Ruofan found chatting with An Ran quite enjoyable, she could not tolerate the leisurely pace and felt it was inappropriate to continue being a third wheel. Thus, she made an excuse that Xu Haibo was calling her and moved ahead with the two of them.

The group leisurely descended the mountain until nearly noon, and by the time they returned home, the landlady had already prepared the meal and was waiting. Having spent half a day together, the group was much more amiable than the previous night

Xu Ruofan performed several stretching exercises in the yard, then walked to the kitchen where breakfast was already served. Her mother asked, "Where is Haibo?"

Xu Ruofan felt rather foolish, frowning as he shook his head

Then bring it over for me to take a look

Xu Ruofan ate the deep-fried dough sticks made by the proprietress while asking, "What time did you all play until last night? You got up earlier than us today."

After the meal, the children sat in the yard listening to Ruofan's father as he pointed to several trees in the yard to impart knowledge about forestry. Fang Zhe returned from outside, carrying a bag in one hand and a plastic basin in the other.

Xu Haibo pulled the quilt over his head and continued to sleep, while Xu Ruofan neatly folded his own bedding, went to the bathroom to wash up and change clothes. When he returned, he saw that Xu Haibo was still buried under the covers, so he said to him, "It's time for breakfast, hurry up and get up, or else Teacher Chen will have to come and call you himself." Then he left the room.

Do you believe I will push you down from here

The following morning

Xu Haibo slept in his clothes for a whole night, and it was evident that he did not sleep well. After washing up, he still appeared very drowsy

It is too beautiful, I fear it may make you feel inferior

His words elicited another round of laughter from the crowd

The two adults quickly realized what was happening, clapping their hands and laughing heartily, while Xu Haibo even whistled loudly in encouragement

"So that's why you can't find a girlfriend," Xu Ruofan teased