Chapter Six: Encounter with a Beauty

  Du Bin could see that Fan Changfeng was genuinely treating him as a friend, and he could also hear that what he said came from the heart. He felt somewhat moved in his heart, and it seemed that Fan Changfeng's image had become more lovable.

  Looking at Fan Changfeng, Du Bin suddenly thought of Zeng Quan and Zhang Guotai, would they still be worried about themselves now? He thought of his parents, who he would never see again in the future! He thought of many things that would happen in the future...

  Du Bin's facial expression kept changing, leaving Yuan Shi and Fan Changfeng somewhat at a loss.

  "Taor, are you alright? Don't scare your mother!" Yuan Shi gazed at Du Bin with anxiety.

  Du Bin finally lifted his head, a brilliant smile on his face: "The past is not important, what's important is now, and if you're living well now that's the real good! At least now I know my name is Li Tao, and I know you are my mother!"

  Du Bin turned to Fan Changfeng: "And you, my best friend Fan Jiulang! That's enough!"

  "Let bygones be bygones!" Du Bin sighed deeply and said, "What's past is past, let it go completely!"

  "Taor... " Yuan's mother once again held Du Bin in her arms, overflowing with maternal love and tears.

  "Jiulang!" Du Bin stretched out his little head from Madame Yuan's bosom.

  "My name is Li Tao, I'm your best friend, you have to help me out later!" Du Bin said with a mischievous glint in his eye, holding out his palm to Fan Changfeng.

  Fan Changfeng was taken aback at first, then nodded heavily and also stretched out his own chubby hand.

  Two small hands were tightly clasped together...

  ……

  The dawn breaks through the veil of night, spewing out a brilliant morning.

  "Don't say the traveler is early, there are even earlier travelers." At this time, Fan Changfeng and Du Bin, no, now he should be called Li Tao, were walking in the misty countryside road.

  Li Tao walked along, looking around curiously. The wheat fields were divided into blocks by the ridges, scattered and nestled in the soil, occasionally blown by the wind, the wheat seedlings would stir up a layer of fascinating waves. In the quiet dawn, you could smell the breath of the small mountain, as well as the fragrance of various trees, flowers and grasses floating over.

  In Li Tao's eyes, the village morning was like a strong cup of tea, savoring it made him feel carefree and relaxed, all his worries and troubles disappeared.

  Unlike Li Tao's carefree demeanor, Fan Changfeng looked up to see more and more peasant women washing clothes, old farmers leading oxen out to work, and smoke rising from the chimneys of the thatched cottages, a look of anxiety involuntarily appearing on his face.

  "Ah Tao, we must hurry up, if we're late, Master will whip us!" Fan Changfeng panted heavily.

  Li Tao glanced at Fan Changfeng and said slowly: "What's there to be afraid of? It's just a beating, isn't it?"

  Fan Changfeng said anxiously: "A Tao, I don't care about my thick skin and flesh, but I'm afraid you're too weak to withstand Master's stick!"

  After hearing Fan Changfeng's words, Li Tao no longer spoke and could only smile bitterly.

  Last night, when Fan Changfeng left, he and Fan Changfeng agreed to go to the private school together today. I thought the private school was not far from home, but who knew that after walking seven or eight miles, they still hadn't arrived. In later generations, this distance would be nothing for Li Tao, but now Li Tao's body is weak like a bean sprout, how can he withstand such exertion?

  The most hateful thing was that "school bag", which almost took Li Tao's life. The "school bag" was not made of cloth, but a portable two-layer wooden box, which could not be carried on the back and had to be held in hand. Originally, Fan Changfeng wanted to help Li Tao, but Li Tao saw that Fan Changfeng's "school bag" was more than twice as big as his own and refused to let him do so. He really couldn't understand why Fan Changfeng would want such a large box. In his heart, he secretly thought that when he got home, he must ask his mother to sew a light and simple cloth school bag for him.

  He had thought of sulking and not going, but seeing Fan Changfeng panting, Li Tao's heart softened. Fan Changfeng didn't live in Zhao Village, but rather in Fan Family Village three miles away from Zhao Village. He came to fetch Li Tao to the private school from his home, so he must have gotten up earlier than Li Tao and walked a longer distance. For someone with a weak body like himself, walking these roads was indeed strenuous, but for Fan Changfeng's stout physique, it was also no small test.

  The two of them hurried along, finally able to see the private school in front of them. Fortunately, they hadn't arrived late! To enter the private school, one had to walk down a short path lined with weeping willows that stood like sentinels on either side, their branches stretching out like arms. There were about fifty or sixty trees in all.

  At the end of the road was a quadrangle courtyard, which was Li Tao's private school. Of course, the private school was also the home of the husband and wife teachers. The private school was set up in the north house, with no blackboard or clock, but with over a dozen legless square tables similar to Japanese tatami mats, each with a square mat roughly the same size as the table top laid out behind it.

  "Jiulang! Why aren't there any chairs? Are we supposed to sit on the mat and listen to class?" Li Tao stood in place, loudly questioning Fan Changfeng.

  "Booger! Where have you been for the past two days, are you dead?" Before Fan Changfeng could respond, a loud and arrogant female voice sounded from behind Li Tao.

  Must be a beauty judging by her voice, this thought had just flashed through his mind when Li Tao's body reflexively turned around.

  The one standing in front of me was indeed a beauty, wearing a pale green cheongsam with scattered floral patterns, and a flowing skirt with layers of ruffles. Her elegant face had clear features carved on it, her watery eyes were crystal clear yet not lacking in charm, but they seemed to carry a hint of coldness, as if they could see through everything. Her small nose was delicate, her lips thin like cherry petals, and on her refined face, a mocking smile played.

  Beauty is beauty, but unfortunately, she's too young. Li Tao couldn't help but sigh inwardly, completely forgetting that he himself was only in his early teens at the moment.

  "Are you talking about me?" Li Tao tried to put on a self-satisfied look.

  "Of course, I'm talking about you. Who else would be called a snot-nosed kid?" The green-clothed girl looked at him with disdain, as if Li Tao was not even a living person in her eyes, but just a snotty nose.

  Li Tao only then reacted, the green-clothed girl was not flirting with him, but provoking him. Although he had crossed into a child's body, his strong self-esteem remained unchanged.

  Glaring at the little girl in front of him with a domineering air, Li Tao gritted his teeth and said: "If you weren't a girl, I'd make sure you remember this for a long time!"

  As soon as Li Tao's words fell, the private school that was noisy just now immediately became silent, and everyone stared at Li Tao in a daze. Li Tao did not expect that his one harsh sentence would bring so many admiring eyes, and he couldn't help but feel somewhat complacent.

  The green-clothed girl was also stunned, she looked at Li Tao with an incredulous expression for a while, then suddenly said: "Say what you just said again!"

  To say it again, I'm not afraid to say it a hundred times, Li Tao put on an even more arrogant attitude than the green-clothed girl: "I..."

  Li Tao hadn't even spoken when his mouth was covered by a chubby hand. After struggling free, he found that Fan Changfeng had "schemed" against him.