four

Take everything with you, just in case. Things over there are quite expensive

Dad, that place is California, where it is summer all year round, with abundant sunshine and famously delicious fruits. Have you heard of California sweet oranges? You probably haven't tried cherries, also known as American big cherries, which are $2.99 for a large bag!

As I spat out watermelon seeds like a machine gun, I replied to my dad: "Come on, if America didn't have watermelons, how would it have gotten the word 'watermelon'?"

Gu Xinlie has always been someone who only grows taller but not smarter. He actually still behaves like when we were desk mates in elementary school, shouting my name "Jiang He, Jiang He!" with a loudspeaker downstairs at my home

It was in such a melancholic and heavy atmosphere that I heard the voice of Gu Xinlie, this foolish person

If I were to ask him, "Does California have winter?" he would definitely think I am incredibly foolish

So I bit my nails and presumptuously told my mother: "No need, California has no winter."

Mother started scolding me again: "I told you not to wipe your hands on yourself, you are a girl, how can you behave like this!"

I shouted loudly in his ear: "Stop! Stop! Gu Xinlie! Gu---Xin---Lie---"

Knowing full well that it cannot catch up, why does the little bird still strive desperately to fly forward

He seemed to be oblivious. The familiar street scenes rapidly receded before my eyes, frame by frame, like a high-speed machine. I simply closed my eyes and recalled a question about a meeting in my mind: The train from Point A travels at a speed of 45 km/h, ... the train from Point B travels at a speed of 30 km/h, and a bird flies at a speed of 10 km/m ...

"What do you think? The little bird didn't have time to turn around before it crashed into the train's front..." I replied incoherently

My dad shot me a glare and said, "Stop being so glib, the watermelons in America are nowhere near as delicious as the ones we have here"

There is no such thing as a contingency; there is nothing that cannot be purchased. The airplane has a weight limit, with each piece of luggage allowed to weigh twenty-three kilograms, and exceeding this limit will incur a fine

"Is there, or is there not?" I rolled my eyes, then put down the watermelon in my hand and casually wiped my hands on my clothes. "Wait a moment, let me ask."

I casually tugged at the hem of my garment and then asked him, "What do you need from me?"

I looked at the two bulging suitcases and sighed: "Mom, you don't need to bring so much. Just look at what you've stuffed in there: a rolling pin, hangers... it would be more practical to bring two bottles of Lao Gan Ma instead."

Mom, please don't hit my head, what if I become stupid... I hurriedly covered my head with both hands, and the last word "ban" got stuck at the tip of my tongue, unable to be spoken.

This day was just like any other day in my family, seemingly without any difference

He looked into my eyes and continued speaking to himself: "Jiang He, why do you always do this? You never say goodbye when you leave, and the places you go are ones I can never catch up to."

However, for me, such speed is nothing compared to you

Mom, do you know how many bacteria are in this? Only after drinking it will I experience discomfort due to the local environment

He turned around to look at me, remaining silent. I felt a chill run down my spine under his gaze, so I shrank back and asked, "What is it?"

Until my mother suddenly stood up in surprise, ran downstairs to bring back a bag of soil, and carefully sealed it: "Girl, let me tell you, when you get to America, take a little of this soil and mix it with water to drink, and you won't have any trouble adapting to the local environment."

He waved cheerfully at my dad and mom, who were standing on the balcony, and it was then that I noticed a bright red Harley parked behind him, simply stunning and unmatched. I couldn't help but twitch my lips and asked, "Is it yours?"

The road was sparsely populated, and he suddenly quickened his pace, forcing me to cling tightly to his waist. I was pressed closely against him, and I could even feel the warmth radiating from his body. His spiky hair pricked my face, causing a slight pain and a bit of an itch.

The evening glow illuminated the scene, and the youth standing opposite me seemed to be coated in a layer of soft light, yet his expression of sadness left an indelible mark on my memory. He said, "Jiang He, why have you never been willing to wait for me?"

I have a kind of anxious expectation in my heart, along with an indescribable sadness. I tie my bangs up with a transparent rubber band, making it look like the bamboo-copter of Doraemon. The summer clothes have all been packed away, and I rummaged through boxes to find a blue and white striped tank top and some home shorts. I sit on the floor, ungracefully munching on watermelon, while my dad splits another piece and hands it to me, saying with concern, "Eat more, there won't be any to eat when you go to America."

I looked up at him in confusion

Upon hearing this, my mother, who was checking the luggage list, suddenly looked up and exclaimed: "Oh no, does California have winter? I packed several down jackets for you!"

My mother covered her mouth and cried: "America, oh America, it is truly too far away. It takes more than ten hours by plane. You are all alone over there. What if something happens? What will your father and I do..."

I angrily stomped down the stairs in my slippers, and in the gaze of my father, who was smiling cheerfully, I snatched the horn from his hand with one hand while covering his mouth with the other, glaring at him fiercely: "What are you making such a fuss about!"

My mother opened the suitcase with some doubt, took out two down jackets, and then uneasily stuffed them back in: "Let's take them just in case, in case m.hetushucomcom happens."

After I had already solved three application problems in my mind, Gu Xinlie finally stopped his motorcycle by the lakeside in the suburbs

My mind buzzed, and I stared at him in a daze, rarely realizing that my reaction was too slow, so slow that I could only see clearly that Gu Xinlie's pupils were a deep brown, unlike Jiang Hai's eyes, which were as dark as the night; his gaze was as clear as a lake.

My mother reluctantly took out some long johns and a hot water bottle, while my father stood by encouraging me, saying, "Come on, have another bite."

I will take you to a place

My father silently took a pack of cigarettes and went to the balcony

Because I saw my mother's tears fall unexpectedly, drop by drop, expressing all the love and reluctance she had never spoken of

I held my mother in a daze, not knowing what to say. After crying for a while, my mother gradually calmed down. I can go to the United States to study, and my mother is actually the happiest person about it; she has never even left the provincial capital in her entire life and has only heard of America on the news. However, it was only today that I realized she must have cried alone many, many times.

As soon as I saw my mother crying, my eyes turned red as well. I looked up, my voice hoarse, and said: "Mom, why are you crying? If you keep crying, you won't be beautiful anymore"

I raised my eyebrows and climbed onto his motorcycle. With a sudden "thud," we flew out like the wind. Instinctively, I grasped the fabric around Gu Xinlie's waist. He had a lean physique, and his skin was tanned to a healthy wheat color. At such a close distance, I could even see a mole on his ear. I vaguely recalled that I had known about this mole for several years, but due to the passage of time, I had long forgotten it.

The cicadas in summer chirped incessantly throughout the night, while the lonely moonlight hung far in the sky, unwilling to sleep just like all the youthful secrets of the heart

He took off my helmet for me, and it was already dusk. The fiery clouds on the horizon were rolling, layer upon layer, brilliant as if they were on fire. I was about to curse him after rolling my lips, but he spoke first: "Jiang He, do you think the speed just now was fast?"

How could you dress like this? He was at a loss whether to laugh or cry

"Still poor." My mother reached out and hit my head

This is home, which begins with the vows of two individuals, yet crumbles with the departure of the child

I stuck out my tongue and picked up the phone to dial Jiang Hai's phone number. These eight digits are so familiar to me that it is an understatement; I could effortlessly create hundreds of numerical combinations with them. After the phone rang three times, I abruptly hung up.

The day before I departed for the United States was yet another hot summer day. Two thirty-inch suitcases were neatly packed, filled to the brim, leaning against the wall, looking both large and lonely