Another Growing Year 2003
YI Ling and An Ran went out to play during the first day of their summer vocation. The two friends had been excited to get out to play for fresh air since they've been coped up with their countless of school work and never ending extra classes. Being in their third year of junior middle school, the amount of hard work they have to put in was much harder and tougher.
Soon they are about to enter senior high school, going for their gaokao and enter the university life. The thought of growing up, becoming an adult, made Yi Long waiting in anticipation. Yi Ling had pictured herself buying her own apartment in the middle crowded city of Beijing that she can call the place her own home, driving her own car, getting up early in the morning for work like her mother did. She would have her own life, that she called her own world. Her young mind had this thought; how wonderful it would be to start an adulthood life, where she could freely explore the world and go as far as she wanted without being limited by her family.
The same year, for that particular another year, Yi Ling get to share a same desk with her childhood crush. She was fortunate, because she get to choose a seat beside Chen Yang.
'Chen Yang, do you know how to solve this question?' Yi Ling bravely asked her desk-mate. Since she became Chen Yang's desk-mate, they've been frequently talking to each other. Their communication unexpectedly getting less uncomfortable. Previously, Yi Ling had to watch him silently, only exchange a few words when necessary. This change motivated the girl.
Chen Yang took a look from her book to read the question. ' Which part you don't understand?'
' I don't understand the whole question,' Yi Ling scratched her forehead to ease the itchiness she felt using her pen. ' I've been reading the same question for five times and I couldn't figure out what they want me to do.'
Yi Ling almost whispered her last sentence. Such an embarrassing confession in front of her long childhood crush. If it wasn't for her persistence maths teacher, threatening to call up her aunt to have some talk regarding her maths grade, Yi Ling would not be motivated to work so hard to improve her maths knowledge before their exam.
Chen Yang shook his head and sighed. ' Are you sure you don't understand the question or do you simply don't understand such a simple maths question?'
Yi Ling looked at him solemnly. She was not an extrovert where one would be actively talking and chatting. At the same time, she wasn't either an introvert where she would keep everything to herself and shutting her world to her own. Yi Ling was simply an ordinary child, who would follow along the wave and the tides movement. So when she heard such insult from Chen Yang, Yi Ling showed her displeasure to him. Chen Yang, this person often simply ignorant infront of her. She knew, chen Yang is a person who would speak his own mind. Nevertheless, since they have been desk mate, he would at least show her some gentleness. But Chen Yang is Chen Yang, a person who would speak his own mind.
' A student like you, wouldn't be able to understand the mind of C student like me. The same thing, C student like myself wouldn't be able to understand the mind an A student like you works.' Yi Ling said with displeasure. She took her book from him. ' Forget it, I can ask someone else to help me solve this question.'
This was the first time Yi Ling spoke to him in such way. Chen Yang was flabbergasted hearing his desk mate said that. Chen Yang wanted to apologise to her. But before he could even, the girl had gotten up from her seat and approached their class monitor with her maths book.
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The school bell rang, and most students with new spirit excitedly getting off from their seats after enduring a long learning hours with their teachers.
Yi Ling arrange her school bag neatly before getting up. An Ran had been waiting in front of her for a while. Unlike Yi Ling, An Ran doesn't like to arrange her bag neatly. she will just throw whatever she needed inside without even arranging. Before both friends went out from the class, they passed by a group of boys from their class talking.
' There is a new branch nearby our school. They just recently open.' Yi Ling heard Jin Sing's familiar voice spoke.
' You mean that new McDonald around the corner right?' one of the boy chirped excitedly as he ask for some confirmation.
Jin Sing nodded his head. " That's right! That one! That one!"
An Ran and Yi Ling suddenly became interested in listening after hearing the word McDonald. They've heard from their friends earlier that a new branch just recently open nearby their school's compound. Yi Ling had never taste MacDonald's food before, but she had passed by a few branches when she travel to Shanghai. There was one time she was tempted to enter the fast food restaurant to try and explore new American food, especially their Burger, but she didn't bring enough money so she had to restraint herself.
" Eh, Jin Sing. So it's true that a new MacDonald's branch just open? earlier I heard from Chin Chin also.' An Ran spoke.
" Yes ah! Yesterday my father and I went to eat there. You both want to join us?"
An Ran nodded excitedly. Yi Ling wanted to reject because she told her third uncle earlier that she would be back early to accompany him to the City. However, before Yi Ling had the chance to say anything, An Ran already dragged her along with the group. Just then, Yi Ling noticed Chen Yang was there too.
An Ran chatted with the boys as they head to collect their bikes. Fearing that her third uncle would be waiting for her, Yi Ling told the group to wait for her for a moment while she go and make a call to inform her aunt. She approached the telephone booth on her school compound and insert some coins inside the booth before making the call. The call went through but her aunt only pick the call after three rings.
"Hello'' Yi Ling heard her aunt's familiar voice.
"Aunt, can you tell third uncle I can't accompany him to the City today? I'm going out with my friends. don't worry, I will be back before dawn. I promise." Yi Ling said.
"Okay. Just be careful. Little girls shouldn't go out too late. Just be back before dawn. I'll tell your mother if you go back too late." her aunt threatened her. Yi Ling nodded and promise her aunt.
After she was done with her call, Yi Ling approached the group and they rode their bikes along the way. The sun was beaming. It felt warm. The trees and flowers still blooming. Earlier Yi Ling had asked An Ran if fifty yuan will be enough for a piece of burger.
"I've never been to MacDonald myself. Don't worry, Jin Sing is a rich boy. we can lend some money from him first if not enough" An Ran had said this.
The ride to the new MacDonald wasn't that far. In fact, it was a short ride since the place located few metres away from their school's compound. Since it was her first time coming to MacDonald, Yi Ling couldn't wait to taste her first burger. She had heard from her classmates, MacDonald burger tasted different from the local made burger.
" I can feel the different atmosphere. It felt like I'm really eating American burger in New York City." Yi Ling had heard the conversation of her classmate after they visited MacDonald. Since then, she had been curious and wanted to try it herself.
They filled in the empty table which accommodate 6 seats. Since there are seven of them, Jin Sing took the empty chair beside their table and sit closely beside An Ran and Chen Yang. After that, they took their orders. And most of them ordered the same thing, burgers. Since there were different kind of sets, Yi Ling didn't know what to order. So she asked Jin Sing which sets is the most popular among the customer. Jin Sing recommend the beef MacDonald special burger and that was how Yi Ling ordered her first MacDonald burger.
Initially when Yi Ling took a look at her burger, she was convinced that indeed American burger outlook different from the local burger she had eaten. When she took a bite, trying to find out the distinguish the local taste and the American taste, Yi Ling wasn't sure anymore.
" Burger tasted like burger!" one of her classmate spoke. Yi Ling agreed with him.
"I agree. We just need to pay extra more by eating here." An Ran spoke.
Jin Sing rolled his eyes. " But I can feel the American atmosphere by coming here. Don't you all agree?" he spoke as he chewed his fries.
"I agree." Yi Ling nodded as she took another bite of her beef burger. " Although I've never been to the US, but my mom said MacDonald in the US is just the same like the MacDonald in China. The difference is that, in the US, there are more Americans and in China more Chinese customers."
"I heard, in the US now days, there are a lot Chinese too." An Ran said. "Eh, your mom is staying in New York right?"
Yi Ling shook her head. "No longer. She got transferred to a new place. she moved to Los Angeles last winter."
"Classmate Ling, your mother is living the best of her life." said An Ran as she stopped chewing her burger. " My dream is to marry off to some American men and live in one of those New York high rise apartment."
Jin Sing burst into a fit of laughter when he heard An Ran spoke. "An Ran, most American prefer girls with big eyes, blonde hair, and sharp nose."
An Ran threw a fries to Jin Sing when she heard him teasing her. Then she heard another voice.
" Why not you improve your study first before thinking of marriage especially with your age. With your current grade, American boys will get frighten when they know your grade.'' Chen Yang spoke. An Ran just gap her mouth.
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Before dawn, her classmates had asked her to join along with them to the game store. Yi Ling remembered her promise with her aunt earlier that she wouldn't be back late. She rejected.
At the same time, before Yi Ling rejecting her classmates offer, Chen Yang had told them he couldn't go with them because he had to attend his cousin's wedding dinner the same night.
" If like that, then can you send Ling Ling back also? Since you are heading the same road." An Ran spoke as she glanced at Yi Ling who held her embarrassment.
" Okay." Chen Yang agreed before Yi Ling wanted to let out a protest.
" Settled then." An Ran grinned.
Yi Ling whispered to An Ran closely, "How can you do this?"
"Classmate Ling, I'm helping you to get closer to your crush. treasure this chance!" An Ran whispered back to Yi Ling.
Like that, under the light before dawn, Chen Yang send her back home for the first time. Yi Ling didn't speak much during their ride together, so neither Chen Yang. Her heart was beating hard. This was the first time Chen Yang send her back. She could remember the scene vividly, it was a ride to remember. Such memory was hard to come by.
When they reached her aunt's house, Yi Ling bide her farewell to Chen Yang.
" Yi Ling!" Yi Ling do not expect to be call by Chen Yang as she was about to open the gate to the apartment. She turned around and look at him.
Chen Yang was silent for a moment. He wasn't sure if he wanted to ask her. At the end, after a hard battle, he still did. " Are you still angry with me ?"
" Angry?" Yi Ling for a moment was confused. " Why would I be angry with you?"
" Today, the maths incident. I said something and made you angry." Chen Yang said.
" Ah!" Yi Ling remembered the incident. in fact, she had forgotten the incident until he mentioned. Truthfully, Yi Ling was not expecting this. especially from someone like Chen Yang who would speak his own mind. And she had long forgotten the incident. little girl like her wouldn't be able to hold grudges for so long. She would feel bad when she fight with her friends, and it was easy to made up with her after a fight was broken.
" No, I'm no longer angry. But I was angry." Yi Ling admitted.
Chen Yang nodded his head. "Good. Go back inside, your aunt must be waiting for you."
Yi Ling nodded and opened the gate. Like that, Yi Ling suddenly felt warm and different.