Yet Helian Qiao tilted her petite chin up, simply stating, "I can walk myself."
Her soft lilt sounded quite spirited.
Chen Jianjun could only relent with a sense of regret, watching as the two little hands clasped together, the pair jouncing merrily in front of him. He calculated internally, in a couple of years when his daughter has grown up, he'd have to teach her not to let the boys hold her hand.
The group walked for another 10 or so minutes before they finally arrived at the school. Both children and adults had already filled up the entrance.
Besides Sanqiao Commune, a good number of kids from nearby communes were present, too.
The youngest were around seven or eight years old while the oldest were around twelve or thirteen. Most of them were boys; girls were much less common.
Among them, only Helian Qiao and Gu Tingyun were the youngest and best-dressed, boasting the fairest and most beautiful complexion – they were definitely the brightest kids on the block!