Colorful years

The hard work of transporting pine resin for several months not only improved the family's quality of life, but also gave Congcong a brand new look ahead of schedule.

On the morning of the first day of school in autumn, sunlight filtered through the dappled leaves and spilled into the courtyard.

Holding a brand-new set of autumn clothes and a delicate new schoolbag, Mom slowly walked towards Congcong.

A gentle smile graced her face as she softly called out, "Cong'er, come here quickly, try on this new outfit, and show Mommy how it looks with your new schoolbag."

In this impoverished family, the children wore old clothes patched upon patched all year round, and a single garment would often be worn for ten days to half a month before it could be washed.

So when Congcong saw the new clothes in his mother's hands, his eyes lit up instantly, and his heart was filled with surprise and emotion. "Thank you, Mom!"

Congcong ran happily towards his mother, his voice filled with joy.

Mom gently stroked Congcong's head and said, "This is a reward for your hard work in carrying the pine resin."

Congcong happily accepted the clothes his mother handed him and couldn't wait to put them on.

It was a dark blue autumn outfit, with a simple and elegant design, and the fabric felt very soft and comfortable to the touch.

Then, he carefully picked up the new backpack. It was a military-green canvas shoulder bag, sturdy and durable, and also very stylish and attractive in design.

In those days, such a schoolbag was a coveted treasure for many students. Usually, only children from families of cadres and workers had the opportunity to own such a beautiful schoolbag; children from ordinary families could only carry schoolbags that their mothers had sewn by hand from black cotton cloth to school.

Wearing his new clothes and schoolbag, Congcong was so excited that his face turned bright red. He spun around lightly, like a happy little top, and after spinning three times, he finally stopped, satisfied.

Seeing her son so happy, Shi Daya's face also beamed with a gratified smile.

Congcong thought happily, "Today I can finally wear my beautiful new clothes and carry my cool new schoolbag to school! Now I can compete with the children of cadres and workers, right? Maybe a lot of my classmates will be envious and jealous of my new outfit!"

Thinking about this filled him with unprecedented confidence and joy.

So, humming a cheerful little tune, Congcong took light steps and ran towards the school like a free-flying lark.

Along the way, he felt the cool breeze on his cheeks and admired the blooming flowers and lush trees on both sides of the road, and his mood became more and more pleasant.

When Congcong arrived at school, he had just stepped through the school gate when he attracted a group of friends to watch.

They all cast surprised and envious glances, and whispers rose and fell.

"Wow, Congcong, you look so handsome today!" Little Fatty Zhao Ergou's eyes widened as if he had discovered a new continent.

"This backpack is so cool, Congcong, where did you get it?" the clever little Li Simei asked curiously.

Congcong puffed out his chest proudly, a proud smile on his face: "These are my new clothes and new schoolbag that my mom bought for me!" He deliberately emphasized the word "new," as if to declare that he had finally escaped the shadow of poverty and become a "rich person" in the eyes of his friends.

"Congcong, you're so lucky to have such a wonderful mother!" a usually quiet girl said enviously. Hearing this, Congcong felt even more proud.

He felt unprecedented respect and recognition, as if overnight he had transformed from an inconspicuous "nobody" into a "star" in the public eye.

"Come on, Congcong, let's see what treasures are in your new schoolbag!" Zhao Ergou suggested.

Congcong readily agreed, opened his schoolbag, and inside were several brand-new textbooks, a brand-new fountain pen, and a beautiful pencil case.

"Wow, Congcong, your pencil case is so exquisite!" Li Simei exclaimed.

Congcong smiled smugly and handed the pencil case to Li Simei: "Look, Mom specially chose this for me, and there's a cute little kitten on it!"

Li Simei took the pencil case, examined it carefully, her eyes full of envy: "Congcong, you must cherish it, this kind of pencil case is one of a kind in our class!"

Congcong nodded, put his pencil case back into his schoolbag, and then walked into the classroom with his friends.

In the classroom, all the students' eyes were drawn to Congcong's new clothes and schoolbag. They gathered around and started talking all at once.

"Congcong, you looked really cool today!" Class monitor Wang Dali patted Congcong on the shoulder, a smile of approval on his face. Congcong smiled back, his heart filled with pride.

"Congcong, where did you buy this backpack? I want to buy one too!" Class monitor Zhang Xiaohua asked curiously. Congcong shook his head: "I don't know, my mom gave it to me."

Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment flashed in Zhang Xiaohua's eyes. Her family was poor; her parents were farmers and they simply couldn't afford such a schoolbag.

Congcong noticed Zhang Xiaohua's disappointment and felt a pang of sympathy. He thought for a moment and said, "Xiaohua, don't be sad. I'll go home and ask my mom if she can buy you one too."