Chapter 86: Cicada Slough (1/2)

Tang Jinyu had a very happy summer vacation when he turned ten years old.

Xia Ye came back to accompany him during summer vacation. They went to catch fireflies again. Although the little guy was one year older than before and grew a little bit taller, he still followed behind Xia Ye’s legs, like a little tail, and walked a few steps back to see him, and without waiting for him to speak, he squatted down to let him come up.

Tang Jinyu climbed onto his back and said with joy: ”Brother, I can walk by myself.”

Xia Ye carried him without letting go, and said to him: ”It's okay, I can carry you.”

When Xia Ye brought him to catch fireflies last time, the little guy was dull and silent, but this year he started humming. Xia Ye squeezed the little guy’s ankle and said to him, ”Happy this time? Last time I brought you here, you were crying the whole way.”

Tang Jinyu hugged his neck and said with a smile: ”Since my brother came back several times this year, I always get to see you!”

Xia Ye was dumbfounded, it turned out to be this case. From the time he won the competition until his birthday, he had a fever. He ran home every three to five times this year. If it wasn't for the little guy mentioning this, he wouldn't have noticed it.

It seems that going home has become an instinct, being caught by a thin soft thread.

They did not find the fireflies today, but they came back after catching a few golden cicadas. Tang Jinyu and his classmates have a small biological observation experiment. The teacher asked them to observe and record the escape of the golden cicadas.

Xia Ye took him back and put a net bag on the table for the little guy to observe.

He went to the side to do his work. The little guy laid down on the table and put his hand under his chin, watching seriously. The cicada did not move. After observing for a while, he began to nod off and then fell asleep.

Xia Ye was busy with work for a while, and when he looked back, he saw the little guy lying on his back, and was sleeping soundly. He smiled, he went to put him on the bed and took off his shoes so that the little guy could fall asleep peacefully.

Probably feeling that his bed was familiar, Tang Jinyu turned over, rubbed Xia Ye's pillow, and fell asleep again.

Xia Ye halfway closed the door for him and went to the living room to do his own business, but this time when he talked to Song Yi, his voice was softened and his answer was shorter.

Song Yi has worked with him for many years, and they know each other too well. He paused when he lowered his voice and said with a smile: ”Is Xiaoyu with you again?”

”Yes, he just fell asleep.”

”Speaking of the renovation of the school district in the Shanghai, I will probably take a look at it and send you a photo later. See if there is anything else you need. I will arrange it.”

Xia Ye agreed, ”Send it now, I'll take a look at it in a while.”

Song Yi paused and said, ”I asked you for the contract yesterday, and you only spared time to look at it.”

Xia Ye smiled and said, ”It's different.”

The matter was serious. From the beginning, Xia Ye put his family first. He started working in an Internet cafe and tried to find a way to make money. It was just to make up for the cost of his dad’s surgery and to expand his subsequent career. A fun way to show his brother where he will live after transfer is indeed more important than mere work.

Xia Ye and Song Yi have cooperated tacitly for several years. Xia Ye opened up the frontiers and expanded the land, while Song Yi was good at defending the city. More details were controlled by Song Yi. Han Yichen previously joked that he was a housekeeper. For Xia Ye and the company, Song Yi was indeed a qualified butler.

Xia Ye is not picky about other things, he usually just passes it with just a single glance, but after looking at the school district room sent for a while, picking up on the details, and told Song Yi change the glass coffee table and the sofa that had sharp edges with round corners, and said to him: ”Also pay attention to the glass in the bathroom, and get a bigger sofa, Xiaoyu sometimes takes a nap on the sofa.”

Song Yi agreed and went to do it.

While Tang Jinyu slept here, Xia Ye greeted Tang Hongjun, and simply let the little guy stay with him for the night.

When the little guy woke up the next day, he still didn't know where he was. After waking up a bit, he lifted the thin blanket and climbed out of the bed to see the cicadas.

Only when he went to see it again, there were only a few empty shells left in the net bag, and the cicadas were already dead.

Tang Jinyu looked at the cicada shell for a long time, and stood there.

Xia Ye went over and rubbed his head and said, ”It's okay, go wash your face first, and I'll grab one for you in the evening.”

Tang Jinyu looked at the cicada in his net pocket, but still did not leave. He vaguely had an impression of it, so he grabbed it and took a look.

Xia Ye thought he would be afraid, but he didn't expect the little guy to pick it up and asked him: ”Aren't you afraid of this? I’ll clean it up for you.”

”I’m not afraid.” Tang Jinyu held the cicada shell and looked up at him. ”Brother, this can be used for Chinese medicine, right?”

”Correct.”

“It can be drunk, it can cure cough.”

The little guy said, and his voice was very soft, and sure.

Xia Ye replied, the cicada's corners were still a bit sharp. He was afraid that the little guy might get hurt, so he pinched his little hand and put it down, and took it to wash.

Tang Jinyu was still thinking about cicada sloughing when he was washing his face. He did remember that the shell could be added to Chinese medicine, and the price was not cheap. Although he couldn't remember how much it was, it was always a price that made him feel distressed. A vague memory emerged and disappeared. It seemed to be a picture. A small casserole was placed on a small stove all year round. A little boy moved a small bench and sat there watching the Chinese medicine in the casserole burn, bubbling with bitter taste.

…

Xia Ye glanced at him, pulled out his toothbrush he was holding from his mouth and reapplied toothpaste, and asked him strangely: ”What are you thinking about, so attentively, you have been brushing without any toothpaste for a while.”

Tang Jinyu brushed his teeth again. After washing, he raised his head and said to Xia Ye: ”Brother, I have seen that before.”

Xia Ye glanced at what he pointed, and said: ”That cicada sloughs? Maybe, maybe someone in another family used it when they were sick and boiled Chinese medicine.”

Cicadas were not uncommon in the north. Xia Ye didn’t take it seriously. When they lived in the apartment building, there were a lot of people. Some families moved coal stoves and put them in the corridor to cook and cook medicine. Tang Jinyu followed him in and out at that time, so it was normal to have seen this before.

Tang Jinyu was taken out by his brother holding his hand, still whispering: ”It’s very bitter.”

Xia Ye glanced at him, ”You tasted it? Don't eat anything like that next time, you hear me?”

”No, brother, I can smell it, it's very bitter…”

Teacher Xia made breakfast and saw them come over and smiled: ”Xiaoyu is awake? Shall we eat here in the morning?”

There was porridge and small fried dough sticks on the table. After Tang Jinyu smelled it on the tip of his nose, it diluted the bitter taste of traditional Chinese medicine a lot, and the light thoughts in his mind flashed past, and he couldn't remember it.