Chapter 21: Thunderstorm

Life remained peaceful and uneventful.

Just as Su Chunfeng had hoped for, it was very happy.

Day by day, time passed. Before they knew it, the summer vacation was nearly over, and school would start again in a few days.

At a little past nine in the morning this day, Su Chunfeng was fiercely supervising his younger brother doing homework under the ceiling fan in the living room. This kid had been running around playing all summer and hadn’t even touched his homework until now. If no one kept an eye on him, wouldn’t he just play himself wild?

Just then, a girl’s voice came from outside: “Is Su Chunfeng home?”

“Yes, who is it?” Chen Xiulan, who was picking vegetables under the grape arbor in the yard, answered casually. But soon, a surprised look appeared on her face.

She saw two pretty and pleasant-looking girls walk into the yard.

The girl in front had fair and clean skin. She wore a white short-sleeved dress, her jade-like arms were as slender as spring onions or lotus roots, and her smooth calves showed below the dress. She wore medium-heeled sandals with her toenails painted red. Her big, bright eyes blinked, and her face was full of a playful, cute smile. She showed no sign of being a stranger or shy. After entering, she looked at Chen Xiulan sitting under the grape arbor and said with a polite grin:

“Auntie, hello! We are Su Chunfeng’s classmates, and also his deskmates. We just came to play with him…”

The girl behind her had slightly darker skin. She wore a blue T-shirt, a floral skirt, and ordinary sandals. She seemed quiet and somewhat embarrassed, biting her lip lightly and saying nothing, lowering her head and looking a bit timid, as if afraid of being noticed.

“Good, good, come inside quickly,” Chen Xiulan hurriedly stood up, thinking to herself how outgoing girls were these days. She called out, “Chunfeng, your classmates are here to see you.”

“Coming!” The bamboo curtain was lifted, and Su Chunfeng walked out of the house with a smile. “What rare guests! Please come in…” He had already recognized Zhang Lifei’s voice from inside the house, and through the gap in the bamboo curtain, he had seen Zhang Lifei and Wang Haifei arriving together. At first, he was a bit surprised; he really hadn’t expected his two female deskmates to come to his home. He quickly scolded his younger brother back to the bedroom to do homework and then walked out the door as if nothing unusual was happening to greet them.

After ushering the two girls inside, Chen Xiulan didn’t stay long. After a few polite words, she went back to the yard to continue picking vegetables.

In the living room, cheerful conversation soon filled the air.

After all, with a lively, cheerful girl like Zhang Lifei, who was like a cheerful lark, topics kept coming, and the atmosphere naturally wasn’t dull.

And since Su Chunfeng had lived two lives, his mind was mature. He was quite happy to chat with his two pretty female deskmates, especially his perfect first love in his heart, Wang Haifei. Besides, when female classmates came to visit, he couldn’t possibly leave them feeling ignored. So he naturally talked easily and enjoyed himself.

The shy and timid Wang Haifei gradually lost the nervousness she had when she first arrived and joined in the happy conversation.

It was Zhang Lifei’s idea to come to Su Chunfeng’s house to play, and she had dragged Wang Haifei along.

Zhang Lifei had been hoping that Su Chunfeng would agree to come and play with her. She waited and waited, but the summer vacation was almost over, and Su Chunfeng hadn’t come. So, she couldn’t help but take the initiative to come find Su Chunfeng. However, no matter how outgoing she was, she was still a girl. She felt too embarrassed to visit a boy alone, so she went to find Wang Haifei and dragged her along.

During the summer vacation, Wang Haifei often couldn’t help but look over that letter from Su Chunfeng. She really missed him and also hoped, yet somewhat worried, that Su Chunfeng would come to see her.

It so happened that Zhang Lifei suggested going to find Su Chunfeng, so Wang Haifei half-heartedly agreed to come along.

In the yard.

Sitting under the grape arbor, Chen Xiulan listened to the cheerful laughter and chatter inside the house and couldn’t help but think, “Both of these girls are quite nice, especially that fair-skinned one. She’s really pretty. But that slightly darker girl is delicate and quiet; she looks honest and good-natured…”

After finishing picking the vegetables, Chen Xiulan felt the weather growing even more stuffy and hot. After a moment’s thought, she quickly got up and headed to the small shop to buy some popsicles or cold drinks.

Now that the family’s conditions were better, she didn’t mind spending a little money.

Just at the doorway, she ran into her husband, Su Cheng. Chen Xiulan said urgently, “Dear, don’t go in just yet. Chunfeng’s two classmates are here, and they’re chatting inside. If someone as big and sturdy as you goes in, won’t it make the classmates nervous? Go, go, visit someone else’s house for a while.”

“So just because two of his classmates are here, I can’t go into my own home?” Su Cheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“They’re two girls,” Chen Xiulan said with a mysterious smile, lowering her voice. “I get the feeling both girls really like our Chunfeng.”

Su Cheng frowned and said, “Chunfeng’s grades have just started to improve. If he starts dating, that wouldn’t be good.”

“Oh, you and your old-fashioned ideas!” Chen Xiulan pursed her lips and smiled. “They said they are Chunfeng’s deskmates and also good friends… Besides, kids this young don’t really understand dating. Even if there are feelings, it’s good for us to check things out early and learn about their families.”

“Hmm.” Su Cheng nodded, thinking that made sense. By the time a child graduates from junior high, they are fifteen years old. After finishing high school in three to five years, if they don’t get into college, isn’t it time to get married and start a family? Thinking this, he lit a cigarette and said, “I’ll go in and take a look, just a quick walk-through.”

Chen Xiulan quickly grabbed him. “What are you so curious about? I’ve already looked them over. Both girls are quite pretty!”

Su Cheng grinned a simple, honest smile and turned to walk away into the distance.

Chen Xiulan then hurried off to the small shop.

In just a little while, she came back with several cold drinks and four popsicles. She entered the house, placed them on the small table in the living room, and said with a smile, “The weather is so hot. Have some popsicles and drinks to cool off… Keep chatting. Stay for lunch; eat here at home.”

“Auntie, that’s not necessary.”

“We’ll leave in a bit.”

Both Zhang Lifei and Wang Haifei quickly said.

After all, they were girls. Coming to a boy’s house to play, they felt somewhat nervous facing the parents. How could they agree to stay for lunch?

After Chen Xiulan politely insisted a few times, she didn’t say much more. She took one popsicle and a bottle of drink to the west bedroom. Earlier, Xiao Yu had been standing eagerly at the bedroom door, poking his head out and looking. Seeing the popsicles and drinks, he was practically drooling. As his mother, how could she not know?

“Su Chunfeng, your mom is really nice,” Zhang Lifei said while eating her popsicle, grinning.

“Yes.” Su Chunfeng nodded. He unwrapped a popsicle and handed it to Wang Haifei, who was too shy to take one. “Haifei, don’t be polite or nervous. Take it and eat.”

Wang Haifei blushed and took it, saying softly, “Thank you.”

“Wow, you’re calling her so affectionately…” Zhang Lifei’s big eyes curved like a fox’s as she teased with a smile. “Am I being a bit of a third wheel here?” Joking with her words, inside, Zhang Lifei felt a slightly sour feeling and a bit of regret, thinking to herself, “If I were as shy as Haifei, would Su Chunfeng unwrap a popsicle and hand it to me, then call me ‘Lifei’?”

“Lifei, you’re annoying,” Wang Haifei lightly pushed Zhang Lifei.

Su Chunfeng smiled and said, “It’s just a form of address. There’s nothing to it between friends. Lifei, you need to change that little bit of old-fashioned thinking of yours.”

Zhang Lifei’s heart lifted happily. She stuck out her tongue. “I’m not old-fashioned at all, geez!”

In the west bedroom, Chen Xiulan listened to the girls’ teasing and joking words and felt delighted—her son was handsome, promising, and popular with girls!

Just as the three older children were chatting happily in the living room, a low rumble of thunder came from outside. The light indoors dimmed instantly, making them look toward the window. They saw that the sky outside had turned much darker. Gusts of strong wind shook the branches of the trees in the yard, making a loud rustling sound.

“The sky’s clouding over,” Chen Xiulan muttered, hurrying outside. There were still a few pieces of clothing airing in the yard.

Both Zhang Lifei and Wang Haifei quickly stood up, their faces showing worry and a touch of anxiety. They both knew that summer thunderstorms could arrive suddenly!

“Oh, it’s going to rain soon. We should go.”

“Yes, yes.”

Su Chunfeng urged them to stay. “A thunderstorm won’t last long; no need to worry. Since you’re here, heading back in such hot weather isn’t a good idea anyway. Stay for lunch.”

“No, no, we need to go back.”

“Yes, if we don’t go back, our families will worry.”

Without waiting for further discussion, the two girls strode outside.

Su Chunfeng had no choice but to get up and see them off. He understood very well that getting two girls to stay for lunch at his house was simply impossible these days unless it was a market day in the village.

In the yard, Chen Xiulan, who was collecting the laundry, also spoke up politely, urging them to stay.

Naturally, the two girls politely declined.

However, just as they stepped out of the yard gate, kicked open their bicycle stands, and were about to leave, suddenly a few blinding flashes of lightning lit up the gloomy sky. Then, a loud crack of thunder echoed across the heavens, shaking the earth with a buzzing tremor. The two girls screamed in fright.

“Quick, push the bikes back in. Go back inside and wait till the rain stops before leaving.”

Su Chunfeng and Chen Xiulan hurried out. They helped them push the bicycles while calming them, telling them not to be afraid.

Whoosh…

The wind grew stronger. Dark clouds churned in the sky, and the low rumble of thunder gathered frightening power, as if about to explode at any moment, making everyone even more alarmed.

Zhang Lifei and Wang Haifei had no choice but to return to Su Chunfeng’s house.

Just after they entered, large raindrops began pattering down outside. Soon, it was pouring down from the sky like water being poured from a dipper.

Crack!

Boom! Rumble, rumble!

The heavy rain was mixed with terrifying thunder and lightning, instantly plunging the whole world into a chaotic state.

The two girls watched the dense curtain of rain outside the window with worry. They had no idea how long this rain would last. If it kept going without end, would they really have to stay for lunch at Su Chunfeng’s house? If it still wasn’t over by the afternoon, they certainly couldn’t stay overnight, right? Besides, their families were probably worrying about them now.

Su Chunfeng was just thinking of comforting them when, suddenly, a thunderclap seemed to crack right above the house, making the windows rattle violently.

Crack, crack, crack…

The two girls screamed and clung to each other.

Su Chunfeng raised his eyebrows sharply. He keenly sensed an extremely strong magnetic field fluctuation—not just the elemental disorder caused by extreme weather and phenomena, but also the scent of Esoteric Technique energy fluctuations!

It was coming from the southwest corner of the house!

There, he had placed an Anti-Evil Talisman!

“Something is about to happen…” Su Chunfeng sighed softly and muttered under his breath.