The three went home, each holding a stuffed bun in their hands.
"Is it good?"
Jiang Yuxu took a bland bite. "Anything that doesn't cost me money is naturally fragrant."
Ji Yanyi dug into his little wallet; there was only thirty cents left, and four days until the next allowance.
He couldn't help but look at Mom, then shook his head.
No, no.
"Then I'll treat you. Next time, you have to treat me to something good."
Jiang Yuxu pointed at the grocery store next door. "I can buy you a complete guide to textbooks."
At school, the Chinese teacher liked to use that. If a rich kid bought it, he would help check homework.
Might as well not have it.
Ji Yanyi pouted cowardly. "Then I don't want it."
Hopeless.
Jiang Yuxu couldn't bear to look and turned away. Then when he looked at Bo Xin, he timidly lowered his head. "What do you think I'll score?"
Bo Xin remembered that the piano tutor said Yuxu was a genius. When learning characters, he could remember them after being taught once. And he had been reading books all this time.
Ji Yanyi's old textbooks had been in Jiang Yuxu's room recently.
"Maybe you'll beat Yanyi."
Jiang Yuxu felt this remark was cheating; just surpassing Yanyi—wouldn't life have no pursuit then?
Ji Yanyi still objected fiercely. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
His younger brother had only studied for a week; how could he surpass his three years of study? More importantly, how was he supposed to be a good brother after this?
Wasn't a brother supposed to be the one leading the younger sibling in everything?
Ji Yanyi put one hand behind his back and suddenly became serious. "On the path of learning, avoid being impatient for quick success."
"...What are you doing?"
Ji Yanyi forgot that Jiang Yuxu hadn't met their Chinese teacher yet, so he didn't get the reference. He quickly dropped his hand, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"I'm imitating our Chinese teacher."
Because of the embarrassment, it was quiet.
Along the way, Jiang Yuxu comfortably touched his ear. At the entrance, there were two hooks for their school bags.
His was dark-colored, Yanyi's was panda-colored.
Somehow it felt similar, as if he were that childish too.
Jiang Yuxu had something to ask. "Do you always let your mind wander like that in front of parents?"
"Yeah."
Ji Yanyi had been like this since he was little. The recent period didn't count. "They looked at me just like you did just now, with an expression of not understanding."
Jiang Yuxu hummed thoughtfully. He actually hadn't meant to be that obvious.
Maybe letting his mind wander wasn't so bad.
Did his gaze hurt people that much?
Jiang Yuxu turned to look, but Ji Yanyi didn't care at all. "It's fine, I'm used to it."
Jiang Yuxu: "...Mm."
After the meal, kids usually took a nap. He wasn't sleepy, just half-lying down for half an hour.
Actually, he had intended to nap for an hour, but Bo Xin called him midway, so he only rested that long.
Yet he felt more awake.
Jiang Yuxu quickened his pace and followed Bo Xin. "What's up?"
"Yanyi just ran out of money, so I'm giving you both pocket money again."
Ten yuan a week. Bo Xin thought that amount was enough for kids and wouldn't increase it later.
But this week was the first week of school.
Obviously, there were more places to spend money.
There were too many things Ji Yanyi wanted to re-experience at the school store. As for Jiang Yuxu, hadn't he made a new friend?
So buying something for a friend was only natural, wasn't it?
Bo Xin took out a ten-yuan bill and some durian candies.
Yuxu liked them, so they were always kept at home.
"If you eat durian candy and then breathe on someone, you'll easily make bad friends."
Jiang Yuxu disagreed. "I'm not that mean."