Chapter 152 Strolling along the river
In the afternoon, He Shu tidied up his desk and didn't plan to continue doing his homework.
I asked Xia Miao if she wanted to go out for a walk, and Xia Miao readily agreed.
The two of them dressed warmly, left the house together, and then walked slowly along the road.
"How about we go to the cemetery to see Auntie?"
He Shu originally planned to go tomorrow morning, but when Xia Miao brought it up, he nodded and agreed.
Xia Miao took He Shu to the flower shop first and bought a bouquet of flowers for He Shu's mother.
The two took a bus to the cemetery and walked hand in hand for a while.
He Shu hasn't been here for a few months, and a lot of dust has accumulated on the tombstone.
Xia Miao brought some tissues and helped He Shu wipe the tombstone clean, and then placed the flowers in front of it.
Coming to this place again, He Shu felt a sense of peace in his heart.
It’s not like before. Every time I see it, I just feel sad and can’t let it go.
Maybe, it’s because he is living a happy life now?
Xia Miao didn't say anything either, just quietly accompanied He Shu.
Looking at him standing there staring at my aunt's tombstone, I couldn't guess what he was thinking.
There was no shelter here in winter and it was very cold. He Shu stayed here for half an hour, turned around to look at Xia Miao's red face, reached out and took her away.
"You can stay here with your aunt for a while longer. I'm not cold."
He Shu shook his head gently: "Come again later."
The road from the cemetery to the bus stop is very quiet, with even fewer cars.
The straight poplar trees on both sides of the road have a unique vitality even in winter.
After returning to the city, Xia Miao knew that He Shu had a lot of homework, so she stopped bothering him.
"He Shu, can you take me home?"
He Shu looked at his watch: "It's only 3 o'clock, so we have to go back?"
Xia Miao smiled and said, "I thought you would be anxious to go back and do your homework."
"No, we won't see each other until the New Year. I want to spend more time with you."
He Shu's words surprised Xia Miao a little. Was this the first time He Shu expressed himself so clearly?
Xia Miao couldn't help but curl her lips, unable to control her joy: "Then let's stay a little longer, where are we going?"
"Is it cold?"
"Not cold." Xia Miao shook her head. She didn't know how hot her heart was right now, so how could she be cold?
He Shu thought for a while and said, "How about we go for a walk by the river?"
"Okay, we haven't been there for a while. We can also stop by the memorial hall. I wonder if it has changed ."
In order to save time, the two took a taxi to the riverside. When the sun was shining in the afternoon, there were many people fishing by the river.
The Green River in Danhe City does not freeze in winter, and sometimes you can see some old men and women swimming here in winter.
He Shudu admired these people's physical strength and endurance.
The sun was shining brightly today. Not only were there people fishing by the river, but there were also quite a few stalls selling souvenirs, toys and whatnot.
Xia Miao saw a man selling pet dogs. There were four puppies in a cage, huddled together like cotton balls and shivering.
The two of them squatted and looked at the puppy for a while, then asked about the price. They said it was eighty yuan each. It was not a rare breed, but a mixed breed with the blood of a local dog.
Xia Miao really wants to buy one, but she doesn’t have the time to take care of it, and her mother won’t agree.
He Shu was helpless. How could Uncle Zhao have the time to keep a dog? Besides, the building was not convenient, and he couldn't bring the dog to school.
"So cute." Xia Miao reluctantly reached out her fingers through the gap in the cage and touched the puppy's fur.
"They feel so cold." Xia Miao said to the aunt selling the dogs, "Auntie, please cover them up. They are too small."
The auntie smiled and said, "The little animals are not afraid of the cold. The fur on their bodies is just like the clothes we wear. Little girl, if you like it, buy one. It's easy to raise."
He Shu pulled Xia Miao and dragged her away.
“We can’t afford it.”
"Yeah, I know, I just think it's so pitiful for such a small group to shiver together."
He Shu smiled. How could a girl like Xia Miao be so full of love if she wasn't pitiful?
The two continued walking along the river bank and found that a cement pool had appeared here at some point, right on the shore, quite abruptly.
Looking inside, I saw a net covering it, but there was nothing in the pool.
"What is this pool for?"
He Shu didn't know either and shook his head, so the two bored people stood here watching and guessing.
Soon, two middle-aged women who were passing by came over, looked into the pool, and were very surprised to see that there was nothing inside.
Passersby saw four people gathered by the pond and came over to see out of curiosity.
More and more people came, and no one knew what was going on. No one knew what they were looking at when they asked each other, but no one left, as if they were waiting for an answer.
He Shu and Xia Miao also stopped chatting. They couldn't help laughing as they watched more and more people gather to look at an empty pool out of curiosity.
Xia Miao grabbed He Shu's hand and shook it, and the two of them quietly retreated, and the vacant positions were immediately filled by others.
Listening to the people behind them studying the cement pool, the two men finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"I remembered a joke I heard somewhere before, about a man whose nose was bleeding, so he tilted his head back to stop the bleeding."
"People passing by thought he was looking at the sky, so they started looking too. In the end, a large group of people were curious about what was in the sky...haha."
He Shu also found it interesting. Chinese people are really curious.
They bought two starch sausages by the river, and He Shu and Xia Miao stood by the guardrail, eating one each.
"It's not tasty, it's a bit salty, let me try yours."
Xia Miao stretched out her mouth, and He Shu helplessly handed over his own thing. They were obviously the same.
Xia Miao took a bite and actually raised her eyebrows and said, "Yours tastes better."
"Then let's switch."
Xia Miao took the sausage from He Shu and took a big bite with a smile.
"Are we going to the Iron Bridge or the Memorial Hall?"
"Look at you."
"Then let's go to the memorial. It's warmer inside."
He Shu reached out and touched Xia Miao's face; "Are you still cold?"
Xia Miao put her hand on He Shu's arm and said, "I won't feel cold if I lean on you."
The two bought tickets and entered the memorial hall. There was no tourist inside except the staff.
Danhe is close to the border, with mountains and water. It is a small city with particularly beautiful scenery.
Every year when spring comes and flowers bloom, many tourists come here to play.
But winter is the off-season for tourism, and the locals have seen enough early in the morning, so it is very quiet here on weekdays.
In the memorial hall by the river, most of the objects on display are left over from the Anti-Japanese War, as well as some shell fossils and pearls that are local to this area.
The staff knew they were locals from their accents and stopped explaining.
Xia Miao had been here many times when she was a child, so there was nothing to see.
So he took out his cell phone to take a photo of He Shu and asked He Shu to stand in front of some exhibits.
He Shu looked a little unnatural when taking the photo. He just stood straight with his hands hanging down at his sides and no expression on his face.
Xia Miao asked him to make a gesture. He Shu hesitated for a long time and then made a scissors hand gesture stiffly...
