Chapter 169 Girls' Birthday (Two in One)
We set out early in the morning and arrived in Xuanzhu City early as well.
The four of them pushed their bicycles down from the deck of the boat. Fang Wei raised his wrist to check the time. It was only half past nine in the morning.
Xuanzhu Wharf is much larger than Baitan Wharf, and has more frequent ferry services. There is also a direct ferry from here to Shanghai, which only takes an hour and a half.
The four of them were standing on land. They had been on the boat for so long that they actually felt a little shaky when they stood on the flat ground.
Breathing the special air here, Cai Ling Zhiyi Asheng seemed very excited.
“This is probably what the city smells like!”
“…It’s the smell of car exhaust!”
"Fang Wei, is that the ship going to Shanghai? It seems to be a direct one!"
Fang Wei looked up at the direction Xu Cailing pointed, nodded and said, "Yes, it should be a ship going to Shanghai."
"How long does it take to get here?"
"About an hour and a half."
"So close! It takes more than five hours to get to Shanghai by boat from Baitan Pier!"
"Because it's not a direct train, it has to stop along the way."
"Then it would be better to take a boat to Xuanzhu Wharf first and then take a boat to Shanghai."
"Stupid, it's hard to manage time. In the end, it's still the same, and the distance is almost the same."
"Then let's go to Shanghai together next time!"
"Okay. How about a graduation trip after we graduate from junior high school?"
"it is good!!"
Fang Wei smiled. In those days when transportation was inconvenient, Shanghai was considered a very far away place. It was also a place Xu Cailing had always wanted to go to. It was also the place where Liu Zhiyi had lived and grew up. He had also worked and lived in that city for many years.
I will definitely go and see it if I have the chance in the future.
With the depletion of marine resources, many people who lived on the islands have begun to seek a living outside, and working in major cities is the most common choice.
What people talked about most was smuggling to Hong Kong Island. When Xu Cailing was a child, she heard adults talk about someone in the village smuggling to Hong Kong Island and swimming across the bay to land on that land late at night. She found it incredible. Perhaps for adults it was due to the pressure of life, but for young boys and girls, it was a kind of exciting feeling as if they were traveling in the world.
Of course, at this age, riding a bicycle and taking a two-hour boat ride with friends to go to the city to play without adult supervision is considered a remarkable thing. You can brag about it to your peers when you return to school.
"Let's go find a cake shop and buy some cake first."
As the leader of the children, Fang Wei rode in the front to lead the way. He looked back and reminded them, "The city is not like the island. There are more cars here. You should pay attention to safety when riding. Don't ride in the middle of the road. You should pay attention to the traffic lights at the intersections!"
"Know!"
Liu Zhiyi had lived in the city before, so Fang Wei was not worried about her. It was mainly because Cailing and Asheng had only been to the city two or three times since they were little. Even though they understood the traffic rules, they were still not used to them.
But this is nothing to laugh at. He took the bus for the first time when he was in high school. He didn’t know anything at that time. He didn’t know that the bus would stop at the station. He waved at the bus from a distance, but the driver ignored him. When he shouted that he wanted to get off before the stop, he got strange looks from everyone on the bus...
It’s okay to experience these things when you are young, you just feel it’s new and fresh. But if you encounter such things when you are older, you will really feel a strong sense of inferiority and timidity in your heart.
……
“There are so many cars!”
"Haha, it makes me a little nervous when riding a bike on the road!"
Cai Ling and A Sheng couldn't help but sigh when they saw all kinds of large and small vehicles driving on the spacious streets.
"Zhiyi, there are more cars in Shanghai than here?"
"Well, I need more..."
Liu Zhiyi was also looking at the traffic on the road. He felt vaguely as if he had returned to Shanghai. After all, there were almost no cars on the island.
However, compared with Shanghai, the urban area of Xuanzhu is still much more backward, but it also has all the supporting facilities that are found in big cities, such as large hospitals, shopping malls, parks, colleges and universities, etc. It has everything that the island does not have.
Although there are no particularly tall buildings, some of the high-rise buildings or road environments still attract young boys and girls to stare at them, giving them a sense of freshness.
While waiting for the traffic light, the four of them stopped their bicycles.
Xu Cailing looked up at the countdown on the traffic light with curiosity.
"Fang Wei, where is the cake shop?" Cai Ling asked curiously.
"...I don't know either." Fang Wei said.
He really couldn't remember exactly where the cake shop was. After all, it had been so many years. But cake shops were easy to find. He remembered that there was one near the gate of No. 3 Middle School, or you could find one in the busy places around shopping malls.
"Ah? You don't know?"
"Hey, I don't know everything, okay!"
Liu Zhiyi also laughed when he heard this: "So are we considered lost now?"
"It doesn't matter! If you get lost, you get lost! The light is green, let's go~!"
Fang Wei pedaled his bike, and the three people behind him followed him, talking and laughing.
Soon, Fang Wei rode to a more familiar road. He rode along this side and turned a corner, and arrived at the gate of No. 1 Middle School.
And next to the street, he also noticed a cake shop.
Cai Ling and the other two also noticed it.
"Hey! Is that a cake shop?"
"Yeah, let's go in and ask."
The four of them rode over together and parked their bicycles in front of the store.
Fang Wei first pushed open the glass door and walked into the store, then grabbed the door handle and asked Cai Ling and the others to come in.
Cai Ling and Ah Sheng were both nervous and a little excited. They subconsciously touched the money in their pockets, worried that they didn't have enough money...
After all, this cake shop looks so expensive!
Even the storefront is made of such clear glass, with warm lights and air-conditioning on. When you walk into the store from the hot and humid outdoors, you will immediately feel a cool breeze and the air is filled with a rich sweet fragrance.
Cai Ling had never eaten cake before, and this was her first time walking into a cake shop. Even though she really wanted to taste the cake, she only dared to tell Fang Weiwei about this dream in secret, but she didn't dare to tell her parents. As a sensible girl, she certainly didn't dare to ask for such an expensive thing.
“Welcome~”
The shop assistant was a lovely young lady. When she saw the boys and girls coming into the store, she greeted them with a smile.
"Little sister, what do you want to buy? Cake or bread? Our freshly baked pineapple buns are also very good~"
"Sister, we want to buy a cake." Fang Wei took the initiative to speak.
"Sure! Is it your birthday? You can order it in advance or just buy it ready-made."
“It’s ready-made.”
"Okay, here are all the ones on the counter. See which one you want."
"Sister, can you help me carve a few more words on the ready-made one?"
"Sure! No problem."
The clerk introduced: "If there are many people at the party, you can choose a ten-inch cake. We also have twelve-inch ones, but you need to order them in advance. The fruit cakes in our store are very good."
"Well, it doesn't need to be that big. There are only four of us eating."
"The six-inch one is just right, and the price is affordable."
"Let's see first."
"it is good."
Fang Wei was the one who communicated throughout the whole process. After all, among Cailing, Zhiyi and Asheng, two were "unworldly" and one was "socially anxious". He didn't know how to answer or how to choose!
After the clerk walked away, the three little ones finally grew bolder. They placed their hands gently on the glass counter and stared with their eyes wide open at the various cakes that were beautiful, tempting, and like works of art.
"Fang Wei...these cakes must be so expensive!"
Xu Cailing whispered, she clutched the money in her pocket, worried that she didn't bring enough.
"It's a rare birthday, so go ahead and choose whichever one you like. Master Fang will treat you."
"Well, your money is also money. If it's very expensive, forget it. It's okay not to eat cake. I'm already very happy to come to the city to play..."
"Silly, choose quickly."
Fang Wei felt both angry and amused, looking at their eager yet retreating looks, their hesitant and conflicted eyes, which were very much like himself when he was a child.
Maybe for them now, cakes are indeed very expensive, but at the most beautiful, happiest and most carefree age, they should spend their youth without regrets.
After all, even if I have money in the future and have endless cakes to eat, I will never be able to taste the cake I had when I was fourteen.
"Then we'll split up whatever money we've spent," Liu Zhiyi said.
"Yeah, that's right, we can't let you spend money alone!" Xu Cailing also agreed.
"Okay, okay, choose quickly." Fang Wei had no choice but to agree.
"Zhiyi, today is your birthday, you choose." Cai Ling gave the task of choosing the cake to Liu Zhiyi.
"Ah? Isn't it your birthday too, Cailing? You choose, you choose..." Liu Zhiyi kicked the ball back.
Seeing that the two of them were being polite to each other, Mr. Fang had no choice but to make the decision and choose a six-inch fruit cake.
The edge of the cake was decorated with a circle of delicate cream lace, each of which looked like a hand-carved work of art, delicate and elegant. In the middle were various patterns outlined in cream, as well as the celebratory words [Happy Birthday]. It was dotted around with brightly colored fruit slices - rosy strawberries, golden mangoes, and verdant kiwis, which set off each other and were colorful.
In the center of the top of the cake, there is a rose made of cream with layered petals and a few small chocolate beans and icing flowers scattered around. The style is very exquisite and beautiful.
"That's it, how about it?"
"……it is good!"
The two girls nodded in unison, their eyes brightening. The one Fang Wei chose was exactly what they liked the most... It was hard to tell if it was because he chose this that this one became their favorite.
It doesn’t matter anyway! At least I don’t have to worry about difficult multiple-choice questions anymore!
After choosing the cake, Fang Wei went to find the clerk.
"Sister, let's choose this one. Is this six inches?"
"Yes, a six-inch one. It's enough for four people. This one sells very well in our store."
"How much is it?"
"This one is sixty-eight dollars."
Sixty-eight dollars is indeed quite expensive these days.
But it was within the expectations of the boys and girls. Cai Ling was worried that it would cost several hundred yuan at first! When she heard that it was only 68 yuan, she was relieved. It was her birthday, so she should splurge!
"Are you sure you want this one?"
"Yes, could you please help us pack it and carve a few words on it?"
"Sure, just write what you want to be engraved on the card."
The clerk handed over a card, and Fang Wei wrote a sentence by hand: [Happy birthday to Cailing Zhiyi, may you be happy every day]
"Okay, do you want to take it away now or..."
"Can we pick it up later?"
"Sure! These candles are for you. I wish you a happy birthday~!"
……
After leaving the cake shop, the four of them rode the bicycles parked in front of the shop.
"Fang Wei, when can we come over to get the cake?" Xu Cailing asked impatiently.
"It's not even ten o'clock yet. Are you hungry?" Fang Wei said with a smile.
"No! I'm just asking!"
"Don't worry, just come back and get it at lunch time."
"Where are we going to eat lunch then?"
Ah Sheng was also curious and asked, "Let's go to a restaurant! Let's go eat noodles together?"
“Let’s go to McDonald’s!”
"McDonald's?!"
The boys and girls' eyes lit up, especially Cailing and Asheng. They enjoyed the fried chicken and French fries that Fang Wei brought back for them last time so much that they were amazed that there were such delicious foods in the world!
"McDonald's is expensive, right?! Does it cost hundreds of dollars?"
"Haha, it's not as expensive as you think!"
At this moment, a Big Mac costs about 16 yuan, and a single meal costs about 20 to 30 yuan. It is definitely relatively expensive, but not too expensive. It is still okay to have it occasionally.
Fang Wei's decision to bring the two girls to the city to celebrate his birthday was not a spur of the moment decision. He had planned it long ago and even called McDonald's yesterday to reserve a seat for the birthday. Apart from anything else, the service of this fast food chain is quite good, they are good at creating an atmosphere, and it doesn't cost too much extra money. Many people in the city would bring their children to McDonald's or KFC to celebrate their birthdays.
The main reason is that Cai Ling and the others have never experienced it. Of course, Fang Wei has not experienced it either. It can be regarded as a special birthday for his childhood self!
"Then where are we going now?" Liu Zhiyi asked curiously.
"Let's go to No. 1 Middle School. Didn't you say you wanted to see the school? Let's go, just cross the street!"
Fang Wei was riding his bike in front, and Cai Ling knew that A Sheng also got on his bike and followed behind him.
The school is not far away. Just walk to the end of the street and turn a corner.
"Xuanzhu City No. 1 Middle School!"
"Wow! The school gate is much bigger than our junior high school!"
“This is what high school is like!”
The four of them stopped the car and looked around at the school gate. The first thing they saw was the school sign.
The reputation of No. 1 Middle School is quite famous in the city. As the best high school in Xuanzhu City, it is also the dream school for junior high school students from all the islands. Liu Zhiyi's father was also admitted from Xuanzhu No. 1 Middle School, and then to Fudan University!
Of course, it is much easier to get into college now than in the 1970s and 1980s, but being able to get into college is still something to be proud of.
As the best high school in the city, No. 1 High School has a much higher undergraduate admission rate than the other three high schools. Both its campus environment and learning atmosphere are unique in the city.
It's the weekend now and there are very few people on the campus of No. 1 Middle School.
Seeing four boys and girls pushing bicycles cautiously walking in, the guard glanced at them, stood up and stopped them, and asked loudly:
"Which school are you from? You are not allowed to enter casually." "Uncle, we are from the middle school next door, and we want to go in and take a look."
"It's not that students from our school are not allowed in. You should go somewhere else. The senior students are still in class."
"We'll just take a look. We won't disturb you. Uncle, can you let us in for a look?"
"No, no, let's go."
"..."
No matter how much they tried to persuade him, the guard refused to let anyone in. Fang Wei and his companions had no choice but to go back to the school gate.
"Oh, so stingy, you can't even let me go in and take a look!" Cai Ling couldn't help but complain.
Fang Wei smiled and said, "That's right. Good schools have strict management. It's definitely not okay to let outsiders in casually. We can wait until we pass the exam and get in later and then we can take a look around."
"Humph, if I get in, I'll watch it every day!"
"Hahaha……"
Liu Zhiyi was also amused by Cai Ling's vengeful look, but she also felt it was a pity, as she had originally wanted to go inside and take a look at the high school where her father had attended.
But it doesn’t matter, she will definitely be admitted in the future!
Does this count as retracing the path my father has taken?
"If we're not allowed into No. 1 Middle School, where should we go now?" asked A Sheng.
"Then I'll take you to No. 3 Middle School."
"Third Middle School?"
"Yeah, it's not far away."
"Can I go in and see No. 3 Middle School?"
"Haha, I think it should be possible."
I don’t know about the first one, but I am very familiar with the third one.
As the worst high school among the four middle schools in the city, he studied in No. 3 Middle School for three years. He knows the management style there very well.
I used to often climb over the wall to go online, and now when I think about it, I feel like an idiot.
Although there are also reasons such as lax school management and poor learning atmosphere, the root cause is ultimately due to one's own lack of self-control. After all, no matter how good the school is, it is extremely easy for a person to fall into depravity.
I’m going to No. 3 Middle School again now, just as a farewell to my three years of high school life!
Following Fang Wei, the four of them easily walked into No. 3 Middle School.
Even the worst high school is several times larger than Baitan Middle School.
It was the weekend and the senior classes were still in class. The four of them parked their bicycles and wandered around No. 3 Middle School out of curiosity.
Look at the teaching building, the cafeteria and the dormitory here. The environment is quite good and is not much inferior to No. 1 Middle School.
In fact, many students in No. 3 Middle School did not get in through exams, but paid a high price to buy a degree to study here. The quality of students is uneven, and they pursue quality of life more than quality of teaching.
What Cai Ling was most interested in was probably the 400-meter track and field field.
The track and field field of Baitan Middle School is only 200 meters, while that of No. 3 Middle School is the standard 400 meters. It looks only 200 meters more, but it feels much larger.
“Plastic track!!”
Xu Cailing was stunned. It was the first time in her life that she stood on the plastic track that she had only seen on TV.
She jumped and ran curiously, feeling the toughness from the soles of her shoes. It seemed as if this track was tailor-made for her.
"The school is so rich! If our school's yellow mud track was replaced with plastic, I don't know how fast I could run!"
"Fuck! This is what we call a running track! Cailing, let's have a competition. I think I can definitely outrun you on a track like this!"
The feeling brought by the hardware facilities made Asheng a little confused about his own position, and he challenged Xu Cailing with full confidence.
"Come on, haha!"
"Look, I'll show you how high the sky is and how deep the earth is!"
"Fang Wei, Zhi Yi, are you going to run away or not?"
"Come on."
"Ah? Ok, alright."
So the four of them stood on the 100-meter track together.
Normally, when Fang Wei and Cai Ling were training, Liu Zhiyi, who was watching from the side, was often grabbed by Teacher Niu to help shout commands. Now it was her who shouted the commands.
"On your marks, get set, go!"
As soon as Liu Zhiyi finished speaking, Fang Wei, Cai Ling and A Sheng beside her rushed out.
Without timing, Xu Cailing didn't know how fast she ran, but the training with the track and field team these days was not in vain. She felt that she ran the fastest 100-meter speed in her life!
Ah Sheng, who had just been clamoring to challenge her, was left behind by her before he had even reached halfway. Only Fang Wei could sprint closely behind her.
Soon, Xu Cailing was the first to cross the finish line, followed closely by Fang Wei. Then after a while, A Sheng also ran over. After a long time... Liu Zhiyi finally ran over.
"It's the shoes! It must be the shoes!"
Ah Sheng shouted, "If I had the legendary spiked shoes, I would definitely be able to outrun you two!"
"Ha ha……"
Fang Wei and Cai Ling laughed.
“But running on a plastic track like this is really fun!”
Xu Cailing sighed, "Fang Wei, does No. 1 Middle School also have such a plastic running track?"
"Yes, the overall environment of No. 1 Middle School is no worse than that of No. 3 Middle School."
After hearing what Fang Wei said, Xu Cailing felt relieved.
When the four were playing on the track and field field, they saw a few sneaky figures coming out from the teaching building.
"Hey, look over there, what are those people doing?" Cai Ling said in a low voice.
"Climb over the wall!"
"...If you don't study hard, you can only go to No. 3 Middle School in the future." A Sheng sighed.
But after a while, he scratched his head again in embarrassment: "No... I can't even get into No. 3 Middle School... Hehe."
Fang Wei kicked him in anger: "You know why you don't work hard! Yushan will definitely get into No. 1 Middle School in the future! If you don't want to get into No. 1 Middle School, you can get into No. 2 Middle School, right?"
"I'm trying hard, bro. I'm really trying hard!"
……
I originally wanted to visit No. 2 Middle School, but it was quite far away, so I didn’t go.
After visiting No. 3 Middle School, the four of them strolled around the city.
It was twelve o'clock in the afternoon. It was the height of summer in June and the temperature on the streets was rising. Even though they were in a good mood, the four Fang Wei could not stand the heat anymore.
"It's so hot! Is it so hot in the city? It's an island after all, so why is there no wind at all?"
"The island is relatively large, and there are many buildings."
Fang Wei looked at the time. After playing for the whole morning, everyone's stomachs were rumbling.
"Come on, let's go get the cake and then go to McDonald's for some fried chicken!"
“Go~go~!”
"Haha, I don't seem to recognize the way here!" Cai Ling said in confusion.
"…Are you directionally challenged?"
"What does it mean to be directionally challenged?"
“I just don’t know the way!”
"I don't know how to do this. I usually know the way very well. I just got a little confused in the city. I'll remember it after walking a few times!"
Liu Zhiyi listened to the conversation between the two and kept silent. Maybe Cailing was a little unfamiliar with the place, but she was really a road idiot...
"Zhiyi, you've lived in the city for a long time, so you must know the way, right?"
“Ah?… Well… I… um…”
Liu Zhiyi blushed and hesitated.
Fang Wei: “…”
Well, it seems that this person is really directionally challenged!
But it’s like this when you go out to play, there only needs to be one person in the team who can lead the brain, and the others are just responsible for eating, drinking and having fun.
Cai Ling knew that A Sheng followed Fang Wei, who had more brains, and they went back to the cake shop to pick up the cake smoothly.
The clerk had thoughtfully packed the food for them. Fang Wei hung the cake on the handlebars, rode steadily, and took them to the McDonald's where he brought them fried chicken and French fries last time.
I locked the bicycle and parked it at the door, then pushed the door open and walked in with the cake. There was a sudden burst of refreshing coolness in the room, as the air conditioning was turned on quite high.
Smelling the aroma of fried chicken and French fries in the air, it feels like walking into heaven.
"Hello, I called yesterday to reserve a seat for a birthday event. My last name is Fang."
"Oh! Yes, here."
The waiter with a smile led Fang Wei and the other three to their seats.
Compared with the various self-service mobile phone ordering and pickup services in later generations, Fang Wei prefers the current service.
Birthday activities in the store are actually very simple. Just determine the number of people and purchase their birthday package. Call in advance to make a reservation and the staff will help you reserve a seat. You can also bring in your own cake.
The staff was quite attentive and the decoration created a birthday atmosphere. It was located in a corner near the floor-to-ceiling windows. There were McDonald's cartoon characters and various birthday greeting patterns on the wall, and there were also a few colorful balloons floating in the air.
The two girls were attracted at once, their big eyes sparkled, and they felt like little princesses in a fairy tale.
"How is it? Do you like it?" Fang Wei asked with a smile.
"I like it~!" Cailing and Zhiyi nodded repeatedly.
Soon, the waiter brought all the dishes in the birthday set meal, including a hamburger for each person, bucket wings, fried chicken nuggets, snack platter, cola, French fries, etc.
Each person also received a souvenir, which was a very small and cute cloth doll.
"Happy birthday~! Enjoy your meal~!"
After the clerk left, this small corner became a small space for Fang Wei and the other three to stay away from being disturbed.
The two little princesses sat together, and Fang put birthday hats on them. He didn't ask them to help him do anything. He took out the cake, took out fourteen candles, put them on the cake, and then lit the candles on top.
Their names were engraved on the cake: [Happy birthday to Cailing Zhiyi, may you be happy every day], this was their common birthday cake.
"Alright! Cailing, Zhiyi, close your eyes and make a wish first!"
"Uh-huh!"
The two girls crossed their fingers, held their hands in front of their chests, closed their eyes, lowered their heads and made a wish.
Brothers Fang Wei and A Sheng clapped their hands and sang birthday songs to them.
"Happy birthday to you~~Happy birthday to you~~"
I don’t know if it was because the singing was too gentle or because I was dazzled by the bright sunshine outside the floor-to-ceiling window.
Xu Cailing and Liu Zhiyi couldn't help but have tears in their eyes and cried like a loser.
"What's wrong? Why are you still crying?"
Fang Wei was startled.
Before he handed over the tissue, the two girls burst into laughter again.
“Because I’m happy!”
For Cai Ling, this was her first time to eat cake and celebrate her birthday at McDonald's. It was a pity that someone doted on her and celebrated her birthday for her...
For Zhiyi, this was her first birthday after her parents left. It was not lonely but lively. She was still loved and spoiled...
Perhaps Cailing and Zhiyi cried for different reasons, but it is undeniable that their fourteenth birthday was the most special birthday they had ever had. Even after a long time, they would still remember this day clearly.
"Have you made all your wishes?"
"I've made my wish~!"
"Okay, let's blow out the candles together! Blow them out in one breath!"
"Uh-huh!"
The two girls sat together, holding each other's hands in the middle. They leaned forward slightly, their tender cheeks puffing up cutely as they inhaled, and then they blew hard.
"Happy fourteenth birthday, Cailing Zhiyi!"
Fang started to applaud the Asheng brothers.
"Then, let's eat!"
"Began to eat!"
The first thing they ate was the birthday cake. Fang Wei cut the cake into four pieces. Each piece was very big, and he gave them to the two little princesses first.
Xu Cailing couldn't help but take a big bite, and a piece of cream got stuck on her upturned little nose. When she raised her head, everyone laughed.
"Delicious!!"
Sweet and delicate cream and fresh fruity scents are intertwined.
Like spring, like summer, like snow, like flowers...
It is the brilliant mood at this moment.
(End of this chapter)
