May 1st, early morning, light rain.

Zhou Li was up early today. As he went downstairs, he heard the old folding door clanging, waking the quiet morning.

He had thought it would be the two elders opening the door.

But it turned out to be Brother Nan.

This meant his energy had been stolen by her. It was a shame—he had been considering saving up for another saxaul tree just a few days ago.

The folding door was equipped with bolts at both the top and bottom of each panel. Being tall, Brother Nan could easily reach up to pull down the top bolts and then fold the four panels neatly to the side. However, the door was ancient and the ground uneven. As she folded it, the bottom edge scraped against the ground, causing continuous vibrations that resulted in the clanging noise.

Her family's house had three front sections; the main hall took up two of them, and she only opened these two.

Outside, the fine rain fell like silk, creating a misty, blurred scene. But summer was nearly here, and the sky was brightening early. With the doors wide open, the whole house suddenly lit up.

Brother Nan turned and saw Zhou Li, somewhat surprised. "Up so early?"

"You're the early one."

"Didn't you three play games all night yesterday?"

"I went to sleep first; they played late."

"Hmm..." Brother Nan nodded, then fetched an old Taishi Chair. She carried it outside, sat down under the eaves without looking back, and said, "My grandparents are cooking in the kitchen. If you want to tend the fire, go on in."

"No."

"Want me to take you in?" Brother Nan looked back.

"No, I'm not going to."

"Hmm?" Brother Nan thought for a moment, guessing he was intimidated by the two old folks. She just smiled, then pointed at another Taishi Chair. "Then come sit with me. We can watch the rain and chat."

"Sure."

Zhou Li obediently carried the chair out and sat down.

The eaves extended over a meter, sheltering them from the continuous lines of rain outside. The overnight downpour had washed the cement road clean as new, while under the eaves, it remained dry, likely because the wind was blowing the other way.

Brother Nan's posture was quite casual as she gazed outside. "Rainy summer days are the most comfortable."

"Sunny winter days are also very comfortable."

"Still, rainy summer days are the best," Brother Nan said. "The weather becomes crisp and cool, the sleeping mats turn icy cold—so comfortable to sleep on. It's even better if there's a strong wind. What should be the hottest days of the year become chilly enough to wear a coat, making you never want to leave your bed. At most, you get up to eat breakfast, then go right back to sleep."

"You really know how to enjoy life." Zhou Li spoke sincerely; just listening to Brother Nan's description made him feel comfortable. "I quite like rainy days too, as long as I don't have to go out."

"Haha, exactly," Brother Nan laughed. "In the past, there was a lot of farm work in the summer. But when it rained, we didn't have to work. No going up the mountain, no drying and collecting grain. We could just sit and daydream all day."

"No homework?"

"Me, do homework?"

"True enough." Zhou Li then remembered the little girl who had helped Brother Nan with her homework on the overpass, but he didn't say anything.

"Were there any mosquitoes bothering you last night?" Brother Nan asked again.

"A few. What about you?"

"None. That thing you made is pretty good. We didn't even use mosquito coils last night," Brother Nan said. "I'm planning to name it. Since it's modeled after me, I'll call it..."

"Brother Xiao Nan, perhaps!"

"Little Fluffhead, perhaps!"

Two voices spoke almost simultaneously.

Brother Nan mechanically turned her head to look at Zhou Li. "What did you say?"

"Nothing..."

Zhou Li pursed his lips and said, "Brother Xiao Nan is good. Sounds nice, catchy. Brother Nan, your naming skills are ace."

"So lame!"

Brother Nan stood up, stretched out her hand to catch a bit of rainwater, looked at it, then shook it off. As she sat back down, the old chair creaked.

Zhou Li's mouth opened, then closed again.

Forget it. Best not to stir up trouble.

Rainy days truly were the best for sleeping. The sound of rain outside, yet you stayed dry within, offered a primal sense of security. So, by the time breakfast was ready, Zhang Hao and the two girls still hadn't gotten up. Only Huai Xu, lured by the smell of food, had come downstairs.

The rice was freshly cooked.

The dishes were leftovers from last night, reheated, along with pickles freshly taken from the jar and preserved tofu from its container.

Brother Nan held her special bowl.

She had told Zhou Li before that back home, she had a bowl she'd used since childhood. She still used it every time she returned, and her grandparents wouldn't let anyone else use it.

It was a turquoise, chrysanthemum-patterned enamel... basin?

Anyway, that's not a bowl, Zhou Li thought.

Brother Nan scooped a generous half-bowl of plain rice, added some dishes, and then went back out to sit under the eaves to eat.

Zhou Li thought for a moment. "I'll go out to eat too."

Reaching the doorway, he glanced at Brother Nan's bowl. The white plain rice was steaming in the chilly morning air. In the bowl were a few pieces of twice-cooked pork, two long strands of pickled cowpeas, and a dollop of preserved tofu. The meal wasn't lavish, but somehow it looked incredibly appetizing. Brother Nan was digging into her food with gusto, her cheeks bulging with rice, making one want to poke them. Her skin was also fair and tender, which only intensified the urge.

"This rain will probably stop by noon," Brother Nan mumbled indistinctly, noticing Zhou Li's arrival.

"How do you know?"

"Just a guess."

"I thought you checked the weather forecast."

"The weather forecast isn't reliable here at the border of two cities."

"I see."

"If the rain stops before noon, we can go out to transplant seedlings in the mid-afternoon," Brother Nan said. "The water in the fields will have drained a bit by then. Or we could go catch crayfish."

"Alright."

"I hope the sun comes out this afternoon."

"Yeah."

"By the way, my younger brother is coming back this afternoon."

"Really?"

"That kid really needs a beating. If he mouths off at you, just hit him," Brother Nan said. "Don't hold back."

"I've met him before."

Zhou Li stole a glance at Brother Nan, feeling somewhat guilty.

For some reason, he was reminded of the Brother Nan from their childhood.

Brother Nan was completely unaware of this. She just thought he was unusually well-behaved for agreeing with everything she said. After finishing her last bite of plain rice, she picked up her bowl and walked back inside.

...

The rain did indeed stop just before noon. The sun even came out in the afternoon, though unfortunately, there was no rainbow.

After lunch, they played cards for a while, though Brother Nan didn't join in. After three in the afternoon, they went out, gathered seedlings into bundles, took them to the field, and began transplanting. They also brought a small basket for catching little fish and shrimp.

「Three hours later, it was dusk.」

Even though the group of youngsters wasn't very efficient, spending much of the time goofing around and jesting, they still managed to finish the job neatly due to their numbers.

During this process, they also caught some small fish and shrimp.

Standing in the field and looking up, the previously empty paddy was now painted with a layer of light green. Neat and orderly rows of green seedlings were reflected in the water, dividing the field into countless equal sections. The splendid clouds of the early summer sky also shimmered in the water, creating a peaceful and beautiful pastoral scene.

Along with the clouds, Brother Nan's reflection was also in the water—

The tall girl had rolled up her trousers and was bent over in the field, washing her hands, sending ripples spreading out one after another. Her hair hung down but, fortunately, wasn't long, so she didn't bother with it.

"I see another fish!"

The poetic image of the young lady was instantly shattered.

As the water surged with ripples, the reflection of the beautiful sunset was obscured, replaced by the sound of laughter and joyous shouts echoing across the fields. The group of young people moved carefully yet excitedly among the newly planted seedlings.

"This way!"

"Ah, it's coming towards me!"

"Block it together!"

"Block it, block it, okay..."

"..."

Zhou Li remained standing still, watching their antics.

With a splash of water, Huai Xu moved beside him. The old demon also looked ahead, seemingly nostalgic. "Being young is wonderful, isn't it?"

Zhou Li glanced at the old demon.

Suddenly, a small fish darted under his feet.

The old demon's eyes narrowed. Without thinking, he instinctively bent down and snatched it up.

BANG!

Water splashed.

The old demon stood up straight, a minuscule fish in his hand. Facing the astonished gazes of the young humans, he couldn't help but throw his head back and laugh proudly. "At the crucial moment, you still need me! You bunch of weaklings!"

He leaned his upper body back, his pride evident.

Zhou Li just watched him silently.

Perhaps this is how life is supposed to be?

The sun gradually set in the west.

Brother Nan called everyone to head back. They carried more than half a basket of small fish and loaches, along with a few crayfish, but no eels. Brother Nan had said eels might bite, and the holes might contain snakes instead of eels, so Zhang Hao hadn't dared to try catching any.

They had come wearing slippers, but on the way back, they simply went barefoot, carrying their slippers in their hands.

The cement road, warmed by the sun all afternoon, felt surprisingly warm to their feet. They wore only short sleeves but didn't feel cold, even though they had complained of the chill while wearing coats that morning.

Zhou Li turned his head.

Two swallows chased each other across the sky above the rice paddy.

Summer had arrived in just half a day.

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