Wang Yanmei sat cross-legged on the ground, dust clinging to her bare legs, happily chewing through the steamed bun Huo Yanzhi had handed her.
Her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel's as she tore off another bite, speaking with her mouth full.
"Mmm! This is so good. Your cook must be a genius!"
Huo Yanzhi crouched nearby, his clean sleeves folded neatly, his shoes spotless. He watched her, his brows knitting together. "You shouldn't sit on the ground. It's dirty. And where are your shoes?"
Yanmei glanced at him, then deliberately stretched her toes in the dirt. "Shoes are uncomfortable. Besides, the ground is free."
"That's not... "
"And you!" she cut him off, waving the half-eaten bun like a sword. "You sound just like my mom. Always nagging, nagging! Aish! No wonder you look so old for a little boy."
He blinked at her, caught off guard. "I'm eleven."
"Exactly!" she said proudly. "Three whole years older than me, which makes you practically a grandpa. But don't worry... I'll take care of you."
Yanzhi stared at her, unsure whether to laugh or sigh.
Just then, a sharp voice rang from the shabby house next door.
"Wang Yanmei! Where are you hiding, you little brat?!"
Yanmei froze, cheeks stuffed with bun. She gulped it down in one painful swallow, then scrambled to her feet. "That's my cue. Goodbye!"
She dashed toward the low fence, clutching the bun in one hand. With great determination, she tried climbing over, but her short legs kicked uselessly for a moment before she heaved herself up and toppled down on the other side with a loud thud.
Huo Yanzhi watched the whole scene, the corner of his lips curling into a quiet laugh. Something told him his mother would despise this girl. But for some reason, he didn't.
•••
The next morning, the Wang household was alive with chaos.
Yanmei sat at the rickety wooden table, her tongue sticking out as she scribbled answers into her exercise book. Her father, a wiry man in his forties with more wrinkles than his years, sat on the threadbare couch. A needle and thread were clutched between his calloused fingers as he carefully stitched the torn strap of her schoolbag.
"Hold still, bag," Mr. Wang muttered, squinting. "If you break again, how will my daughter carry you, eh?"
Yanmei glanced up and grinned. "Papa, you're talking to my bag again."
"Of course," he said seriously, biting the thread with his teeth. "Your bag sees more of you than I do."
Before Yanmei could laugh, a thunderous shout erupted from the yard. Her mother's shrill voice cut through the walls.
"You dare you insult me, Old Zhang's widow?!"
A neighbor's mocking tone fired back. "Hah! At least I'm not forty years old with only one child to show for it! Either your husband is too weak, or you're too useless to give him more children!"
Yanmei sighed, flipping a page. This was normal morning music by now.
Her mother's reply was vicious. "At least my one child is still with me! Where's your eldest, eh? Probably lying drunk in the gutters, smoking with other rogues. Or stealing pigs again! Even heaven doesn't want him... that's why your dowry was never paid!"
The shouting grew louder. Pots clanged. A rooster fled squawking past the doorway.
Yanmei calmly closed her notebook, tucked her bread into the freshly mended bag, and slung it over her shoulder. "Papa, I'm off."
Her father waved her away. "Don't let your mother's voice damage your ears."
Yanmei nodded solemnly, then skipped out the door. She weaved between the two feuding women, ducking just as her neighbor's hand reached out to grab her braid. It was like slipping past two angry hens in a farmyard.
She didn't even blink. This was Tuesday.
•••
At school, the difference between her and the new student, her new neighbour Huo Yanzhi was like heaven and earth.
Yanmei burst into the classroom, hair messy, bread clenched between her teeth, bag swinging behind her. Her eyes immediately lit up.
There he was.
Huo Yanzhi sat primly at a desk near the window, back straight, hair perfectly combed, his uniform crisp and ironed as if it had never been folded. His schoolbag was leather, probably worth more than her entire family's monthly income.
"Yanzhi!" she shouted, bolting toward him like a stray dog spotting a bone.
The class fell silent. Dozens of curious eyes turned toward the new boy… and the village troublemaker clinging to his desk.
Yanmei plopped herself into the seat beside him, grinning widely. "Let's go together later, I'll show you the best parts of the dump... oh, I mean, the village."
He looked at her bread. "You're eating that for breakfast?"
"And lunch," she added cheerfully, tearing off a bite.
By midday, Yanmei had already eaten more than half his snacks without asking, borrowed his pencil, scribbled in his notebook, and poked him during class every five minutes.
"Why don't you play with the other kids?" she asked at lunch, her mouth full of his dried fish crackers.
He glanced at the rowdy group by the trees, then back at her. "I don't want to."
"Good!" she said, crumbs flying. "Then you're mine."
And that was how, in less than a day, Huo Yanzhi became the darling of every teacher, and Wang Yanmei, the girl everyone complained about... except him.
•••
The path out of the village was dusty, shaded by crooked trees. Yanmei skipped along, swinging her battered schoolbag as if it were a treasure chest.
"Why are we going this way?" Huo Yanzhi asked, already out of breath. His shoes were coated in dust, his socks turning gray.
"To show you the river," she said, puffing her little chest. "It's the best place in the whole village! You'll thank me later."
"I won't." He frowned. "My mother said I shouldn't... "
Yanmei spun around and pressed a finger to his lips before he could finish. "Shhh. You're too obedient. One day, you'll turn into an old grandpa who only knows how to follow rules."
He swatted her hand away, horrified. "Don't touch me! Do you know how many germs are on your fingers?"
Yanmei bent over and wiped her finger on his spotless shirt with a wicked grin. "Now you're half germs too!"
"mei mei!" he shouted, his voice breaking.
She cackled so loudly that two birds flew from the trees. "See? You even sound like a cranky old man already."
The river stretched wide under the afternoon sun, lazy ripples sparkling like silver.
Yanmei threw her bag onto the grass, kicked off her shoes, and waded into the mud with bare feet. "Ahh, freedom!"
"Stop that," Yanzhi scolded, clutching his schoolbag to his chest. "You'll get sick. And look at the water... it's filthy!"
"Filthy is fun," she said, scooping water into her palms and letting it fall like glitter. "Come on, City Prince, try it! Or are you scared?"
"I'm not scared," he said automatically, though he took two steps back.
"Then prove it." She splashed water at him. Droplets hit his perfect shirt, leaving dark spots.
"Wang Yanmei!" His voice cracked again, full of outrage. "Do you know how much trouble I'll be in if this gets dirty?"
Yanmei stuck her tongue out. "If you're scared of your mother, then just admit you're a coward."
"I'm not a coward!" He dropped his bag angrily on the grass. "Fine, I'll come closer... "
But the moment he did, Yanmei leaned too far over the bank. Her foot slipped. With a yelp, she plunged into the water.
The splash was louder than anything. For a second, the world froze. Then she surfaced, coughing, arms flailing.
"Yanzhi! Help!" She kicked wildly, going under again.
"Yanzhi! Help!" she splashed wildly, then disappeared under the water.