growing up

After getting off the car, Ling Chao stood in front of the gate of the city library, seeing many people coming in and out, he also walked in.

There is an advertisement stand in a conspicuous place at the door, which says the sixth "Xiayang Cup" calligraphy competition for teenagers in D City.

The library, which should usually be quiet, is quite lively at the moment.There were many people gathered on the first floor, most of whom were parents accompanying their children.

I wonder what Gu Yuan is doing here?

Ling Chao looked around and decided to ask directly. There were too many people, and he didn't know where to find him.

- I'm here, where are you?

Gu Yuan replied quickly.

—You wait at the door, I will pick you up.

When Gu Yuan came to Ling Chao's side, Ling Chao was still playing with his phone with his head down.The shadow in front of him was cast, and the eyes were still first attracted by those big eyes. At this moment, Gu Yuan was not wearing a hat, but his hair of about half a centimeter was all standing upright. The simple attire of white T-jeans and sneakers, if it wasn't for the patch on his face With the obvious redness and swelling and the aloof aura emanating from his whole body, Gu Yuan is simply a good-looking and eye-catching boy.

"Let's go, follow me to my side first." Gu Yuan said, turning around and leading the way.

Ling Chao stepped up to keep up, walking side by side with him.

"What are you doing here?" Ling Chao asked.

"There is a competition." Gu Yuan said.

"Calligraphy competition?" After speaking, Ling Chao felt that the tone was a bit unpleasant: "No, I just didn't expect that you participated in the calligraphy competition. So I was a little surprised."

Gu Yuan glanced sideways at Ling Chao, and didn't care about it: "Well, I don't have anything to do with it. A classmate who participated in the competition was sick and hospitalized, so he couldn't participate. My former teacher found me."

"Oh." Fortunately, Gu Yuan was not angry.Ling Chao secretly blamed himself for being a bit abrupt.

Gu Yuan took Ling Chao to the junior high school group. The game started at 03:30, and there were still 10 minutes left. Gu Yuan still had something to do, so he asked Ling Chao to take a look.

Here is a space separated by a screen, and there is a red banner "Yuying Calligraphy Room" on the front screen.Several children who looked [-] or [-] years old were talking around a gray-haired old man.Gu Yuan was particularly conspicuous standing there.Not only the portrait, but the height is also a bit taller than those children.The Gu Yuan at this time was completely different from the ones he had seen before, his eyes were bright and steady.Listening to the old man very seriously.When the old man talked to him, he would nod obediently in response.

After a while, the broadcast sounded, and the contestants had to prepare to enter.Going to the largest exhibition hall, Gu Yuan walked up to Ling Chao: "You, do you want to stay and take a look?"

Ling Chao: "Okay, you go, I'll wait for you."

"En." Seeing that he agreed, Gu Yuan didn't say any more, and followed the others into the arena.

Listening to the host's opening commentary, introducing the names of the judges and participating groups, Gu Yuan and the others have also entered the venue to sign in and draw topics to their respective positions to prepare.

Afterwards, several guests went up and spoke a few words briefly. After the judges read out the rules, the competition officially began.

Ling Chao stood in the crowd, saw Gu Yuan at a glance, and stood still in the middle.The rice paper on the table was unfolded, and he was leaning over to write with a pen in his right hand.

Ling Chao couldn't see his expression clearly, but he could only see that his wrist was moving smoothly with the writing.For a moment, Ling Chao felt that there was light around him.He is really a peculiar boy, smoking, fighting and writing calligraphy, so why not get along with him?

The game was not long, and it was only half an hour when Gu Yuan came out and stood behind Ling Chao.

"Let's go." Gu Yuan nodded Ling Chao's shoulder.

Ling Chao looked back and saw that it was Gu Yuan: "Is this over? So fast!"

"Well, I have nothing to do." Gu Yuan said.

"Didn't you say that the result will come out in a while? Don't you want to see if you have a prize?" Ling Chao said.

"This is a team competition system. Even if you win the prize, the teacher will send a representative to collect it. I'm just here temporarily to help." Gu Yuan said.

"Oh, I really want to see what your work looks like." Ling Chao murmured softly.

A smile flashed across Gu Yuan's face, and then disappeared.

"What kind of writing are you writing?" Ling Chao asked unwillingly.

"Regular script." Gu Yuan replied.

Suddenly remembering the name of the shop "Coming" and the magical cookbook, Ling Chao looked at the young man beside him, it must have been made by him.Although I don't know calligraphy, I still appreciate good-looking characters. That's not a good writing!

"So you wrote the menu and store name?" Ling Chao asked.

Gu Yuan looked back at him, realized what Ling Chao was talking about, and nodded, "En."

It was quite quiet outside the library, and there was no one there.Everyone else was still waiting for the results, and the two of them were walking slowly up the long stairs.This meeting is not as hot as noon. Although there is still a gap compared with the temperature of the air conditioner in the hall, it is not uncomfortable.A little wind blows over and feels quite comfortable.

Ling Chao glanced at the time on his watch: "It's still early, why don't you take me around?"

Gu Yuan stopped to look at Ling Chao, Ling Chao went down another step, felt Gu Yuan's pause, and turned around.Gu Yuan himself should be around 175, but now standing on a higher step, Ling Chao needs to raise his head slightly to meet his gaze.

Gu Yuan didn't stop, he lifted his foot and said, "Let's go."

"Ah." Ling Chao didn't react.

"Take you shopping." Gu Yuan suddenly smiled.

This time it was different from the smile that disappeared in an instant.When the corner of Gu Yuan's mouth was raised, there was still a slight dimple on his right cheek, and his smiling eyes gleamed in the sunlight.

Ling Chao put his shoulder on his shoulder, raised his hand and touched the short hair: "Okay, I will take you to eat delicious food later. But you have to lead the way."

Ling Chao was quite happy. He had many friends since he was a child, but it was the first time he wanted to make this friend in less than a day.The intimate gesture just now was done completely unconsciously. To be honest, he was a little scared by his own behavior, but Gu Yuan didn't have any unusual reaction, so he was relieved.It's just that when I started to go down the stairs, my hands were already taken off and put in my trouser pockets.

Gu Yuan took him to the museums and small historic sites not far away.The two chatted from time to time, most of which were Ling Chao asking Gu Yuan to answer.Most of the talk is about some things in this city.After all, Ling Chao came here for the first time, and he will live here for two years in the future. It is always good to know more.

When we walked to a commercial area, it was almost six o'clock.Unknowingly, I went shopping for two hours.

There are a lot of people here, pedestrians in twos and threes, chatting and laughing, a group of children are laughing and playing at the fountain next to it, and there are various broadcasts by businesses to attract customers, which is very lively.

Ling Chao pulled the arm of the boy next to him: "There should be a place to eat here, what do you want to eat? I'll treat you to dinner."

Gu Yuan stopped, and after two seconds: "Come with me."

As he spoke, he didn't walk into the commercial street, but turned around and prepared to cross the road.

"Aren't you going to eat here? Generally, there should be a lot of restaurants in such a business district." Ling Chao was a little puzzled, but still followed.

At this time, the sidewalk green light just turned on, and the two crossed the road together with the crowd.

"I'll take you to a shop, you should like it." In fact, Gu Yuan just remembered how happy he was eating snacks when he gave him noodles that day.

"Oh." Ling Chao didn't say much, and followed him.

The two crossed the road, walked a short distance, and turned into an alley, which was immediately isolated from the noise of the commercial street.Is it in this alley?

"It's here." Gu Yuan led him to stop at the gate of a courtyard.

This courtyard gives people the feeling of antique.It doesn't look like a restaurant from the outside.There is no representative word on the door frame.There are two big red lanterns under the eaves, with a word on each side forming "come".ah?This is also "coming".

As if seeing Ling Chao's thoughts, Gu Yuan's voice came: "This is the original store, the one you went to is the branch."

Ling Chao didn't speak, and followed Gu Yuan into the gate.

It is quite a big courtyard with a row of trees on both sides. There is a flower bed in front of the house facing the gate, which is full of flowers of various colors. Two young men in white chef uniforms came out of the main gate with bowls. , and walked to the rooms on both sides.One of them saw Gu Yuan: "Hey, Xiao Yuan is here, looking for a master?"

Gu Yuan quickly walked a few steps over: "No, I'm here to eat."

The man glanced at Ling Chao next to him, and nodded with a smile: "Then you can do whatever you want, I'll deliver food to the guests first."

As he spoke, he went to the house on the right without waiting for Gu Yuan's answer.

Gu Yuan took Ling Chao to the room at the main entrance, and he went straight to the kitchen after entering.Ling Chao didn't follow, and stood in the room where he entered.

Master Guan is enshrined in the lobby. Incense is burning on the table, and there are several plates of fruit snacks. Next to it is a set of mahogany sofa chairs and a mahogany display rack.There are some porcelain and antiques on it.

At this time, there was no one here, and the waiters should be busy in the two rooms over there. Gu Yuan entered through the door on the left, and he could only see a long corridor extending inward.There are bursts of food aroma wafting in the air.

After about two to three minutes, Gu Yuan came out.

"Let's go, go find a seat." Gu Yuan said.

The two came to the house on the right, and the man who had just greeted them was cleaning up the dishes with his back to them.

Gu Yuan went directly to sit at the table where the customer had just left, and Ling Chao sat opposite.

The man looked up and saw it was them, and said with a smile, "I'm going to see the master." But he nodded his head towards Ling Chao: "Young man, I don't seem to have seen him before."

"Well, friend. I'm passing by here today and I'll come over for a meal." Gu Yuan replied.

In fact, Ling Chao never thought that Gu Yuan would introduce himself and call him a friend.

The man didn't ask any further questions, and when he learned that Gu Yuan had gone to the back kitchen to tell the chef what he wanted to eat, he went out with the bowl he had put away.

Gu Yuan poured two glasses of water, and handed one to him: "This is a noodle shop, I didn't ask you, I just ordered the signature noodles for you."

"Well, I heard you are called master, did you learn here before?" Ling Chao took the water.

"I used to come to his house to help out during the holidays, and learn by the way. I only started working there this summer." Gu Yuan said after drinking his saliva.

"You...you look younger than me. You started working during the summer vacation at such a young age. I haven't had a part-time job yet, so I'm quite envious." Ling Chao really thinks that taking a vacation job is pretty good, and it can train people.

Gu Yuan said: "The owner of this shop has known my dad for many years. I have loved his noodles since I was a child. I learned from him when I was 12 years old."

12 years old, Ling Chao doesn't quite remember what it was like to be 12 years old.Apart from cooking simple quick-frozen or noodles since I was a child, I have never cooked a dish by myself.

"I came here that day, did you cook the noodles I ate? They are delicious." Ling Chao rested his head on his hands and looked at Gu Yuan.

"I cook the noodles, but the soup and toppings are made by my master's son." Gu Yuan suddenly rubbed his neck in embarrassment.

"The noodles are also very strong. Although, I don't know how to cook, but I still feel that noodles are different from noodles. I should have a lot of knowledge." Ling Chao said.

"En." Gu Yuan replied.

The two talked and asked, and the man brought a tray.There are two bowls of noodles inside.There are also two side dishes.It is still handmade noodles, the large chunks of beef are bright in color, the yolk of the poached egg is still shaking gently as the bowl is put down, and it is served with capers, lettuce and fried peanuts, with a handful of green onion dotted in the middle.The aroma is so strong that people can't help swallowing.

The man greeted them to eat, then turned around and went back to work.

Gu Yuan took a pair of chopsticks to Ling Chao, took another pair for himself, and began to eat noodles with his head down.

After walking for an afternoon, Ling Chao had already felt hungry when he smelled the fragrance in the previous room, so he didn't speak any more.

The two finished their noodles in silence.Ling Chao wanted to get up and go to pay the bill, but Gu Yuan grabbed his clothes: "There is no need to pay the bill. The master invited us to eat."

"Ah? I agreed to treat you to dinner." Ling Chao didn't expect it to be like this.

Gu Yuan still didn't say anything, and the two walked out together.

"Don't you need to talk to your master again? Shall we go directly?" Ling Chao saw that Gu Yuan didn't intend to go to the back kitchen, but walked directly to the gate.

"It's okay, let's go." Gu Yuan said.

After leaving the alley, the road was full of traffic again, and a sci-fi movie was playing on the big screen at the outermost part of the commercial street not far away.The two stood by the side of the road, and neither of them spoke for a while.

"Are you going home directly?" It was Ling Chao who broke the silence first.

After doing a lot of things this day, this person's hand was injured in the morning, and in the afternoon he participated in a calligraphy competition and went shopping with him.He must be quite tired too.

"Go home." Gu Yuan said.

Gu Yuan told him that there is a direct bus to him at the bus station in front of him, and he also has one, but it is a different route.

When the car arrived, Ling Chao sat down in the back row by the window and looked out the window, Gu Yuan was still waiting there.

The teenager casually leaned against the billboard at the bus stop, with a lit cigarette between the index and middle fingers of his left hand.

The two looked at each other, Gu Yuan was expressionless, Ling Chao smiled, and waved goodbye to him before the car started.