Chapter Twelve: Telephone, Telephone, and More Telephones

  The winter vacation is the most anticipated holiday for these bookworms, and it also heralds that they will have "endless" pocket money to spend, "endless" time to play house, and "endless" mornings to dream until they are woken up by a full bladder...

  "Older brother, you're really not going to pick up the notice tomorrow?" The older brother looked at him with a puzzled expression.

  "No way!" he said firmly

  "Why?" Old Tai asked, getting to the bottom of things.

  "...can we just not talk about it?"

  "No way!" Lao Biao said very firmly

  "...I'm afraid you're underestimating yourself" He looked like he was considering his senior's self-esteem, but in fact, he didn't say that he was a bit afraid to go to the classroom, because of the school flower, because of the top student, because of whoever helped him wipe the desk

  "...day, afraid I'm inferior and still asked me to help you carry it!" Lao Biao thoroughly retreated

  "The Frog (the protagonist's nickname since birth) answers the phone" The old lady (a term used in Sichuan to address elders) standing on the opposite side of the courtyard uses her unique voice to wake up Cheng A from his dream (unfortunately, there was no telephone installed at our home at that time).

  "...sweat...so big now, said don't call me little name again"

  "Frog, answer the phone." The old woman seemed not to notice his discontent.

  "Who's there?" A person wearing pajama pants ran to the balcony to respond.

  "He said he is your class teacher!"

  "..."-sized clothes started running wildly

  One minute later...

  "Hey! Glasses... Good morning, Teacher He!" he said politely and respectfully.

  "Still good morning?! Just woke up? It's already 11 o'clock, others have finished receiving their notices and gone home." He could feel Eyes' anger.

  "Uh... I... I stayed up late reading last night..." trembled and found an excuse for sleeping in.

  "Who cares what you did last night?! I'm asking why didn't you come pick up your notice today?"

  "Uh... what's today's date? Ah, shoot! Shoot! I forgot to bring the notice!" Cheng A apologized profusely.

  "...You still want to cheat me, your cousin said you asked him yesterday to help you bring it back today, which means you never intended to come and get the notice!" Eyes Brother fired off questions and answers in rapid succession, not even giving him a chance to interject.

  "...", forgot to meet up with old buddy...

  "Nothing more to say?"

  "Uh... actually, teacher, I really have something on!"

  "You know you have things to do, don't just sleep in! Everyone has!"

  "Considering you did quite well on this exam, I won't bother with you for now. We'll settle the score together next semester!"

  "Great! Great! Great! In the future, I will definitely look up to you with admiration!" Cheng A hastily flattered and presented.

  "Beep, beep, beep", the phone started ringing with a busy tone...

  "It's so cold!" She subconsciously wrapped her coat tighter.

  "It's strange if you're not cold wearing shorts!" The old woman said behind his back.

  He took a glance at his legs which only had one pant leg on, he had rushed out so quickly that he had only put on the top.

  It seems that this exam is passed, according to what Eyes Brother said. Let out a sigh of relief, thank Old God, thank Old Light, thank Guanyin Sister, and also that beautiful and strong-willed senior sister... thinking about it, I held the senior sister's hand at last, and she showed an adorable angry face... couldn't help but laugh again!

  But thinking of the school flower, thinking of the top student girl, thinking of the desk... another wave of melancholy and loss... thinking again that I'll have to face it next semester, can't help but feel a wave of headache...

  It seems as if God does not intend to fulfill Cheng A's wish of being a coward.

  The 17th day of winter vacation, which is also the Lunar New Year's Eve!

  "The frog is on the phone!" It was still the voice of the old woman.

  also known as nickname

  "The frog is answering the phone!"

  "...also called...pull up the quilt and cover your ears"

  "Frog, a girl named Yang E hit..."

  "...just put on a pair of pants and start sprinting...in the midst of chaos..."

  "Hey! ... " Waiting for the voice from the other side

  "It's Yang E!" A soft and gentle voice came from the other end of the receiver, unique to the school beauty.

  "Ah!"

  "Didn't wake you up?"

  "There is... none!"

  "Hehe! I knew you were still in bed."

  "...you knew all this?" You didn't sleep beside me? Of course, this can only be said to oneself in one's heart.

  "Yao Po said that you sleep in until 11 o'clock every day when you're on holiday."

  "What's with 'Granny'?" Cheng A asked in confusion, how did the school flower end up being called "Granny" too?

  "I said I was looking for you, she said she's your wife, and told me to call her that too!"

  "Uh... how did you get my phone number?" You're getting too familiar too quickly, that's not good, let's change the subject.

  "What Teacher He wants."

  "...can't find the words"

  After 5 seconds of silence...

  "Nothing more to say?" The school flower's tone was slightly disappointed.

  "...they will never ask you for your phone number, right!?"

  "Are you cold?"

  "...just like yours" Same county town, will the temperature be different? He was sweating profusely.

  "I'm not cold..."

  "...haven't you asked if I'm cold?"

  Just as they were about to sink into an endless silence, the sound of firecrackers on New Year's Eve echoed outside the door...

  "Happy New Year!!" we both said at the same time with the school beauty

  "Haha!"

  "Hahaha!"

  "Yang E, it's time for lunch." The voice of the school flower's mom came from the other end of the phone.

  "Go eat something! I'll hang up first..." Thinking of the school flower's cold-faced mother, don't know why but feeling guilty.

  "Ah! Happy New Year!"

  "You too, bye!" Hung up the phone quickly, it seems that when talking to a lady on the phone, one should wait for the other party to hang up first to appear gentlemanly. But looking at myself still wearing a cartoon-patterned autumn jacket, I couldn't help but laugh at myself, letting elegance go to hell.

  Little did he know, his initiative to hang up the phone left the school beauty in a daze...

  "Does he really dislike me? Hanging up the phone so quickly and being unwilling to talk to me, why is that?" The school flower muttered to herself in distress.

  "Yang E is ready for dinner, what are you muttering to yourself?" The voice of the school flower's mother sounded again from behind.

  "Nothing... nothing! Eat, eat..." The school beauty was flustered and at a loss.

  Looking at the school flower's flustered expression, the school flower's mother was puzzled...

  If Cheng A knew about the school flower's current mood, I would definitely be so nervous, excited and timid that I wouldn't be able to say a word and would bang my head against the wall!

  Unfortunately, I don't have telepathy and haven't reached a level of mutual understanding with the school beauty where we can read each other's minds.

  So a man's timidity and weakness will ultimately lead him to more setbacks and unnecessary detours on the road of emotions.

  "Frog, phone." Just as he walked to the door of his house, the voice of the old woman rang out again.

  "...", didn't fight in the morning, didn't fight at night, but ended up fighting as soon as they got home.

  "Frog, hurry up! A girl named Zhu S is calling. Why are they all girls?!" The old woman added a sigh...

  "...turned around and ran back, gathered together..."

  "Hello! Excellent performance... Zhu S?" Ignoring the old woman's teasing expression, she quickly picked up the phone.

  "Ah!" Very gentle, very soft, very light...

  "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Hurry up and say it, don't forget later!

  "Haha! You stole my line." The humor of a clever girl.

  "Alright! You say it once and then I'll say it again." After receiving a call from the school beauty and top student, Cheng A felt that this winter wasn't so cold after all, and his mood was great.

  Happy New Year!

  "You really said it?!"

  "Now it's your turn! Hurry up and say something!"

  "...Happy New Year!" A sweat... The excellent girl at this time made him a bit overwhelmed.

  "Haha! Alright, I'm hanging up now, my dad is calling me for dinner."

  "So fast!" He regretted saying it out loud...

  "Who made your phone unreachable for half a day? I called several times before it finally connected."

  "My friend just called and I just hung up!" I explained

  "It's Yang E, right!?" The excellent student is indeed an excellent student, and she was even able to guess this.

  "Uh..."

  "Don't worry! I won't be jealous, frog... Hahaha!"

  Beep, beep, beep... a dial tone came from the other end of the phone...

  He held the microphone, wanting to cry but unable to shed tears, wanting to laugh but unable to smile...

  "Frog, telephone..." Chirped the chick

  "Frog, telephone..." A woman dialed

  "Frog..." A man hit it

  That noon's lunch was spent shuttling back and forth between A's house and his mother-in-law's, feeling touched by so many people calling me... but thinking about it later, because of all those calls, the family reunion dinner wasn't enjoyed well, and so much good food wasn't savored, what a pity...