The courtyard: the atmosphere of human life

Zhong Yunxing took two deep breaths and listened to the story of his precious daughter.

"I didn't do my homework, and the teacher asked me to ask my parents to come. I made up for it, but she wouldn't do it, so I... I smashed her glass."

After Xiao Ruyi finished speaking, she glanced at Darong again, lowered her head and dared not speak again.

"Why don't you run?"

After listening to this, Zhong Yunxing was silent for a long time before he blurted out these words.

Darong picked up the kang broom and hit Zhong Yunxing on the arm.

Both father and daughter stood obediently beside the closet as punishment, and no one dared to say a word.

Zhong Yunxing's project was calculated by the hour, so taking one day off would result in a lot of losses, so in the end Darong gritted her teeth and endured the teacher's scolding. After compensating for the glass, she also bought a lot of fruit for the teachers in the office.

When they came back, the mother and daughter walked home one after the other in silence.

"Zhong Ruotong, can you study hard and go to school? Look at Jindan, a boy who can be the squad leader. I don't ask you to be a class leader, but please don't cause trouble, okay?"

After arriving home, Darong could not help but scold Xiao Ruyi. She had never thought that the smart and clever Xiao Ruyi would have such a hard time studying.

"Mom, Jin Xu didn't get as high a score as me. He was able to be a class leader just because he was obedient. I don't want to be a class leader."

It seemed that Xiao Ruyi never understood Darong's words in a reasonable way, and she retorted with disdain.

"I have to beat you, don't I?"

Darong was very angry at the moment. She originally wanted to convince people with virtue and educate them with civilization, but Xiao Ruyi seemed to always challenge her bottom line.

The moment Darong stood up, Xiao Ruyi subconsciously shrank her neck. Although this girl had never been beaten, she seemed a little scared and didn't dare to talk back.

Although Xiao Ruyi's grades have always been stable, her mischievousness has never changed. Good grades but disobedient has become the most common evaluation and definition of Xiao Ruyi by teachers.

"It's summer vacation now. Let's send Ruyi to stay at grandma's house for a few days. You should also have a good rest."

After Darong gave Xiao Ruyi a bath and put her to bed, she was finally able to sit under the fan and have a good rest.

"Yeah, that's fine. I'm really tired. This kid is so naughty."

Darong sighed and glanced at Xiao Ruyi, who was standing on the bed and swinging her sword at the Japanese on TV. She looked like a tomboy. If it weren't for the two pigtails on her head, no one would have known that she was a girl.

"Erhong came to our construction site to inspect at noon, and we had a drink together."

Zhong Yunxing suddenly mentioned Zhong Yunhong. Darong knew that he must have something to tell her. Ever since Zhong Yunxing started driving a bulldozer, these two entry-level projects were introduced by Zhong Yunhong. The couple have always been very grateful to him.

"Don't drink while working in the future. What were you talking about?" Darong asked casually.

"Jixiang will start primary school in September. He and Wu Meifeng both get off work late, so we want Jixiang to come to our house after school, and they can pick him up after get off work."

Zhong Yunhong and Wu Meifeng both worked the day shift and got off work at five o'clock. At that time, there was no after-school care service in primary schools. During this time before they got off work, Jixiang had no place to take care of their children.

The primary school where Jixiang attends is very close to Darong's home. It is just across the alley and across the street.

"Okay, I'll pick him up whenever I have time."

In fact, Darong thought it was just a small favor between family members at the time, but she didn't expect that this connection would last for a full 6 years.

Xiao Ruyi has been walking to school almost every day since she was in the first grade. It takes Xiao Ruyi half an hour to walk from Darong's home to school each way, and she has to go back and forth once for lunch. In total, she has to make four trips to school a day.

Originally she didn't think it was far, but when Darong rode her bike to pick up Jixiang every day, Xiao Ruyi's mood changed a lot.

"Whose mother are you? This is unfair!" Xiao Ruyi argued angrily with Darong.

"My younger brother is still young. He has to cross a big road to get to school. Wouldn't he be in danger?"

Darong looked at Xiao Ruyi with blushing cheeks. She felt a little angry at first, but then she felt it was a little funny. Children really don't make any sense when they get jealous.

Ruyi and Jixiang are not in the same school, so Darong has no way to pick them up and drop them off at the same time.

The important thing is, in Darong's way of thinking, Ruyi is her own child, so it's okay if she suffers a little grievance, but since Wu Meifeng handed Jixiang over to her, she absolutely cannot treat her child unfairly.

In the eyes of adults, Darong's idea comes from her kindness, but in the eyes of Xiao Ruyi, it is naked favoritism.

"But my school is farther away. He can get to school just by crossing the road, but I still have a long way to go!"

Xiao Ruyi was not willing to be outdone and argued with reason.

Darong knew that she couldn't win the argument with Xiao Ruyi, so she simply suppressed Ruyi's unreasonable behavior. After lunch, she sent her out to school without any explanation.

Although Xiao Ruyi went out, he was still very angry. He pouted and just walked out of the front yard. Then, as if he suddenly thought of something, he walked back stealthily with his head down.

When Darong was packing up Xiao Jixiang's things to send him to school, she heard a loud "puff" noise outside the window.

It was early autumn and every household had their windows open, so any movement in the yard could be heard clearly.

When Darong came out through the curtain, other families were standing at the door, looking towards Darong's house.

I saw Xiao Ruyi sitting on the ground stupidly, holding the tire valve core of Dayong's car in her hand, blinking her eyes with a dazed look on her face.

Xiao Ruyi originally just wanted to quietly pull out the valve core of Dayong's bicycle so that she would have no car to send Jixiang off, but it was her first time and she had no experience, so she didn't know that the sound of the air leaking out after the valve core was pulled out would be so loud.

Ruyi was so frightened by the noise that she fell down on her butt. Before she could escape, she was caught by Darong.

"Zhong! Ruo! Tong!"

When Darong saw Xiao Ruyi's expression and the completely deflated bicycle, blood rushed to her head and she angrily reached for the broom at the door.

"Ruyi, run!"

Xiao Jindan reacted quickly. He pulled up Ruyi, who was still on the ground in a daze, and ran out of the yard.

After running out of the dormitory, the two little guys held their knees and gasped heavily.

"That's nice! I owe you that."

"Won't you be beaten when you go back home at night?"

"It's okay, my dad will be back in the evening, and I have someone to protect me!"

After Xiao Ruyi took a few breaths, he patted Jindan's shoulder, and the two of them walked towards the school together again.