Chapter 288: Going To Third Brother’s School
“Jiaojiao sings so beautifully.”
“You’re only discovering it now? I found out long ago. Every time Yun Jiao comes here to sing, I secretly listen from over there.”
“Wow… the orca is here again.”
“Can we really not play with the orca like Yun Xiaowu and the others?”
“No, I asked before. Yun Jiao said she couldn’t guarantee our safety, and my father also won’t let me go.”
The children chatted and chirped, and Yun Jiao had also finished her photography task for the day.
After bidding farewell to the orcas, it was time to head back.
“Yun Jiao, your skirt is so pretty. Can you let my mother see it? She promised to make me a skirt.”
Many women at that time knew how to sew. Compared to buying ready-made clothes, it was more economical to buy fabric and make clothes themselves.
However, limited by their vision, the styles of clothes they made were only a few common types.
Yun Jiao’s beautiful little skirt today had truly captured the hearts of the young girls. Families with fabric and the willingness to give it to their daughters also wanted to make such a nice outfit for their little girls.
Yun Jiao said nonchalantly, “Sure.”
She wasn’t afraid of wearing the same outfit as others; after all, it wouldn’t be her who looked unfashionable.
Not long after returning home, Yun Chennan and Yun Linhe came back, bringing the giant clam shell.
Yun Jiao ran out to greet them, looking at them expectantly.
“Uncle, Third Brother, can I keep this?”
Yun Chennan nodded, “We’ve already registered it at the police station. Uncle Zhao said live giant clams are protected animals, but we can keep the shell if we find it. We cannot hunt them.”
Yun Jiao beamed and nodded, “Then I’ll go wash it clean.”
Yun Chennan rolled up his sleeves, “I’ll help you.”
Cleaning this giant clam shell was quite difficult. To make it spotlessly clean and flawless, after washing off the seaweed mud and grime on the surface, it also needed to be polished with sandpaper.
Yun Xiaowu and the others came to help after school finished. A group of them worked diligently until the evening, and the giant clam shell finally looked beautiful and good-looking.
“It’s beautiful. Jiaojiao, quickly go change your clothes, and we’ll take some photos inside this giant clam shell.”
When they were washing the giant clam shell earlier, Yun Jiao was afraid of dirtying her pretty skirt, so she had changed into her usual clothes.
Then, Yun Jiao was enthusiastically dressed up by the two women in her family. She lay down or sat in the white giant clam shell, and they took quite a few photos.
Yun Xiaowu and the others even caught fireflies and placed them beside her.
Although it wasn’t as clear at night as during the day, with the moonlight and flashlight illumination, she was photographed with the feeling of a little fairy under the moon.
In 1984, when most people didn’t even have the concept of photography, their family was already having artistic photos taken of Yun Jiao.
Of course, Yun Jiao, who loved beauty, also really liked it.
She even pulled Ninth Brother, who had changed into a replica military uniform, to take photos together.
Yun Xiaowu and the others watched enviously and shouted that they wanted some too.
Yun Jiao seized the opportunity and raised her small hand, “Tomorrow, we’re buying a sewing machine!”
“Mom, Auntie, please make beautiful clothes for the brothers too.”
“A sewing machine makes it fast.”
Everyone was amused.
“Don’t you remember we don’t have a sewing machine coupon yet?”
Yun Jiao’s eyes darted around, “Cousin Uncle Hongfei said he has one.”
“Alright, alright, when we get the coupon, we’ll go buy it.”
The evening passed happily.
Over the next two days, Yun Jiao wore her other two beautiful little skirts and took various photos, each one looking very good.
Developing these photos would likely cost quite a bit of money, as they not only needed to send them to Wu Lan but also to Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and their good friend Fu Mingyu.
They had maintained contact with Fu Mingyu’s side by exchanging gifts and letters every one to two months.
Of course, they hadn’t forgotten Grandpa and Grandma in the capital, nor Sixth Brother.
“Third Brother, are you having an exam?”
Yun Chennan was preparing things.
“Yes, I’m going with Father today to move some of my things back from school.”
“I want to go too!”
Yun Jiao was very enthusiastic; she hadn’t been to Third Brother’s school before.
“Okay, okay, everyone’s going. Then we won’t take the motorcycle; we’ll take the public bus.”
Yun Jiao said, “I want to wear a pretty skirt, the blue one.”
After putting on her little skirt and tying her hair into two beautiful braided pigtails, she held the hands of her two older brothers and skipped away.
Yun Chenbei also went to help at the school. With him going, Yun Linhe wouldn’t be going.
Three people were enough to carry the items back.
The public bus swayed along until they reached the school. Yun Jiao saw people coming in and out of the school gate.
This high school in the county was much grander than the primary school in their small town.
The students’ faces were full of youthful vigor. Some carried books, walking in twos and threes, communicating with each other, their eyes full of hope for the future, each looking full of spirit.
“Hey, Yun Chennan.”
Hearing his name called, Yun Chennan, holding Yun Jiao, looked over.
“Classmate Zhou Guokang.”
“You’re also here to move things today? And these two are…”
Yun Chennan introduced them to each other.
“This is my younger brother, Yun Chenbei, and this is my sister, Yun Jiao.”
“Jiaojiao, this is your brother’s classmate, Zhou Guokang.”
Yun Jiao said, “Hello, Brother Zhou.”
“Ah, yes, yes, yes…”
Zhou Guokang couldn’t help but look at Yun Jiao a few times.
My goodness, Yun Chennan’s sister is so beautiful.
In fact, it wasn’t just him; male and female students around couldn’t help but look a few more times.
“What a beautiful little girl.”
“Her skin is so fair. She’s the most beautiful child I’ve ever seen.”
“Her skirt is also pretty. I even want to go say hello.”
“Then hurry up and go.”
“Oh, I dare not.”
A few girls not far away were nudging each other, looking at Yun Jiao several times. They wanted to say hello but were too shy to.
Yun Jiao hugged Third Brother’s shoulder, and her pair of clear, watery pupils looked towards them, then her eyes curved into a shallow smile.
Yun Chennan, holding her, was talking to Zhou Guokang and had already entered the school.
Only after they had left did those few girls react.
One of the girls said with a determined tone, “In the future, when I find a partner, I must find someone good-looking, and then have a daughter as beautiful as her.”
It felt too uncomfortable that such a beautiful little girl belonged to someone else, and she could only watch and not raise her.
“Hehe… You’re already thinking about children before you even have a partner. Aren’t you embarrassed?”
Meanwhile, Yun Chennan and the others arrived at the male dormitory building.
The dormitory building was a tall cement structure with white ceramic tiles on the outside. Inside, it was somewhat stuffy and crowded.
There were no fans in the dormitories at this time of year; the school didn’t have the financial means to equip every dormitory with a fan.
“Quite a few of our dorm rooms are empty. It seems some people have already packed up their things.”
Zhou Guokang greeted them enthusiastically as soon as he opened the dormitory door.
“Little Sister, and Yun Chennan’s brother, you sit down. I’ll go get you some water to drink.”
Yun Chennan said, “No need, I’ll go.”
“Hey, why are we being so polite? I’m really counting on you for helping me with my studies, which gives me some confidence for this exam. You all sit down, and I’ll get the water.”
