He Will Come Back Before Dawn

10

The New Year arrived with the sound of firecrackers.

It was the happiest time for children as in the C-City, it snows during this time every year.

Outside was paved with silver-white snow, while Chen Hu was beaten up by his bad-tempered father, who held him down after reading his paper.

Chen Hu scored only 50 marks and was at the bottom of their preschool class.

Little Fatty was wailing like a pig on slaughter and was almost heard by the entire neighborhood. Zhao Zhilan shook her head, somewhat amused, she said, “This child’s voice is too loud and piercing.”

The New Year became a get-out-of-jail card for little kid Chen Hu. He was deprived of his new year red packet, but at least his grumpy dad didn’t beat him up anymore.

Chen Hu took a group of kids from the community out to play. Six or seven boys followed him in a mighty manner. Two of them were about two years older than him, just they were not as robust as him.

Li Da said, “Let’s go find Minmin.”

Chen Hu thought, “We are going to catch birds and set off firecrackers. We are not gonna play with girls.” Yet thinking again about Fang Minjun’s beautiful and noble appearance, he agreed, “All right, let’s go find her.”

All the boys in the old neighborhood were here now except Pei Chuan. The construction and features were particularly old here, and it was a bit like a large compound. However, the floors were a bit higher.

The south wall would have been full of creepers in the summer, but now it was caked with ice crystals.

It was especially easy for them to find someone. They stood downstairs and shouted at the top of their lungs, “Fang Minjun-”

The children’s voices echoed downstairs, and after shouting Fang Minjun, Chen Hu remembered that he had eaten Bei Yao’s apple. So he continued to shout with everyone, “Bei Yao-”

The clear and tender voices were heard throughout the neighborhood.

Pei Chuan was wrapping dumplings with his mother Jiang Wenjuan in the opposite building, as Jiang Wenjuan just wanted him to have something to play with. After all, Pei Chuan finished his winter vacation homework in just two days. However, other children won’t take the initiative to bring a “burden” to play with him. So Jiang Wenjuan was very sad, but she could only spend some time with her son by herself.

Pei Chuan’s eyes were downcast, and his pale fingers were pinching the folds of the dumpling, which looked like a model. He was always like this, learning everything really quickly.

Seeing him like this, Jiang Wenjuan was even more uncomfortable. When Pei Chuan came back from school and gave his paper in their hands, she cried under the blanket for half the night with her muffled voice. Pei Chuan was the only one in the preschool class who got one hundred percent. Her son was so smart and excellent, but he was deprived of his legs, which ruined most of his life.

Pei Chuan, who was seriously making dumplings, heard the echoing voice from downstairs to call Bei Yao, and his hands subconsciously pinched the skin of the dumpling causing it to break slightly.

His black eyes looked at it faintly and pinched that gap again.

Jiang Wenjuan had been observing him and noticed it at once. No children would take the initiative to play with Pei Chuan. After all, children were like brisk birds, they couldn’t push, and they wouldn’t be willing to push a heavy wheelchair and take Pei Chuan with them.

Jiang Wenjuan was afraid that her son would feel bad, “No more dumplings, mommy will take you outside to play, okay?”

Pei Chuan’s lips parted, but he again closed his mouth. He wanted to refuse. However, in the end, he didn’t say anything. At the age of five, he still had expectations and yearnings for the world, and he also wanted to go out and see the snow.