1

First day of school, 1st grade

​The morning sun peeked over the clay roofs and dusty roads of the small town, reaching its fingertips beyond the window of a cozy bedroom and brushing past the face of a sleeping Yang Qiu. A blanket neatly covered his body, only allowing his face to be touched by the warm glow. 

​At the sound of his alarm, Yang Qiu opened his eyes. He sat up and turned it off. He blinked a couple of times, then got up, rubbing his eyes. He stumbled to the bathroom, turning on the light as he walked in. Hemounted the stool in front of the sink and reached for his toothbrush and toothpaste, brushing his teeth while staring blankly at the mirror. After washing out his mouth, he splashed water on his face and grabbed a towel to wipe everything dry. He ran his hands through his hair a few times, then turned off the bathroom light and returned to his bedroom. 

​Opening his closet door, Yang Qiu saw the neat and tidy school uniform he had received just weeks before. He carefully put it on, then went to the kitchen to eat breakfast. The cupboard squeaked open revealing a bag of bread, which Yang Qiu retrieved. He took out a slice and held it in his hand, taking occasional bites out of it. Meanwhile, he went back to his room yet again to pick up his school bag. After drinking some water, he approached the door, put on his shoes, and walked out into the sunrise. 

​Getting ready for school, however, was not so easy for everyone. 

At the same time Yang Qiu was getting ready, a small boy was sprawled across his bed. His mouth was open, his stomach was out, and not a thread of his blanket was on top of him. The sunlight shined in through his window and lit up his exposed tummy. 

Just then, there was a knock at his door. But of course, the youth was enjoying a profoundly comfortable rest, and did not hear a thing. After a couple knocks, the door was pushed open by a woman with kind features and bright eyes. She peeked her head in, and when she saw that her son was still sleeping sound as ever, she let out a little laugh. 

Approaching the bed, she couldn't hold back a slight chuckle. She came to the side of the bed and lightly tapped her son's tummy. 

"Xiaxia, it's time to get up! You have your first day of school today!" Receiving no response, she resorted to her next tactic. She reached over and grabbed her son's foot, tickling the sole. Feeling something not quite right, the boy slowly started to wake up. Feeling the ticklish sensation, he couldn't help but burst out in giggles. 

"Chen Xia, you're finally awake! Hurry and go wash up! You can't be late on your first day of school." Though her son was stubborn, she was grateful that he woke up with minimal effort on her behalf. 

"Okay, okay, mom," Chen was still disoriented from having just woken up. 

After Chen Xia was done washing up in the bathroom, he returned to his room where his mom was waiting for him. She helped him into his school uniform, making sure everything looked neat and proper. 

"My, my, Xiaxia you look amazing!" Mrs. Chen was almost moved to tears as she looked at her son in his school uniform for the first time. 

"Hehe." Chen Xia was very happy as well, especially after seeing how happy his mom was. 

Chen Xia followed his mom downstairs to the family dining room hidden from the view of the customers of the family's restaurant. As they entered, Chen Xia's dad was setting bowls of milk on the table. Seeing his wife and son walk in, a bright smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Why, good morning!"

"Hi dad!" Chen Xia ran excitedly towards him.

"Oh my, you look quite handsome today, son!" I bet he gets it after me, haha! Mr. Chen felt a great sense of pride. 

"He does, doesn't he!" Mrs. Chen laughed at her husband's reaction.

The three of them sat down at the rectangular dining table, with Chen Xia sitting across from his parents. They ate breakfast, and once they were done, Chen Xia's dad began cleaning the table. Chen Xia then followed his mom out the door, chattering as they walked down the road until they reached the school courtyard. 

​When they arrived, there were already some parents talking in groups and little children running around. Some kids seemed to be playing tag, and there were squeals and laughter echoing in the air. Chen Xia looked around, eyes following the running kids. Suddenly, his vision fell on a squatting figure facing the fence on the other end of the courtyard. He was immediately curious.

​"Mommy, I'm going to go play over there." Chen pointedat the fence.

​"Sure, sure! I will go talk to your teacher and some other parents."

​With that, Chen Xia left his mother's side and headed over to the boy by the fence. Despite Chen Xia's approaching presence, the boy was unbothered. As Chen Xia drew closer, he noticed that the boy was poking the ground with a small stick. Squatting down beside the boy, Chen Xia realized that there was an ant colony, and some of the ants were carrying a small piece of bread. He must have given them bread! How nice of him.

​The two of them quietly observed as the ants slowly carried the piece of bread and marched by in front of their eyes. Chen Xia looked over at the boy, but he did not seem to notice. His dark eyes simply focused on the movement of the ants. 

​Just then, a voice boomed from the speakers. The two boys turned their heads in time to hear the principal's voice flowing through the courtyard. He spoke briefly about himself, then began to welcome all the returning students back to school, as well as making special welcomes for the new students. As he spoke, Chen Xia got up and went to look for his mom. The other boy turned his head back and continued to watch the ants who had already traveled a greatdistance. 

​After the principal finished his speech, the parents began to say goodbye to their kids. 

​"Be good, Xiaxia!" Mrs. Chen embraced her sontightly, excited on his behalf.

​"Bye mommy!" Chen Xia replied against his mom'sshoulder. 

​They let go of each other and Chen Xia turnedhappily to the school entrance. Just as he was about to walk in, he turned around and saw his mom waving at him. He flashed a big smile, waved back at her, then happily headed toward the first-year classroom.

​As Chen Xia walked into the classroom, he saw the ant-watcher boy approach the back corner and decided to do the same. He watched as the boy sat down in the chair by the window. Chen Xia then put down his bags at the desk next to the boy and sat down. 

​After all the students had settled into their seats, the teacher began to introduce herself. As she spoke, Chen Xia looked to his left and saw that the boy was looking out the window. There was a bird on the branch of the tree right outside the window, and Chen Xia was immediately entertained. However, he could not focus on the bird for long, as the teacher began giving instructions. 

​"Alright students let's all introduce ourselves to the class. Let's start at the front of the classroom. When it is your turn, please say your name and… what yourfavorite food is!"

​"H-hello everyone! My name is Yan Qiuyue and I like to eat kiwis," the first girl began.

​"Wonderful! Welcome to class Qiuyue," the teacher replied with a welcoming tone.

​One by one, the children introduced themselves. Chen Xia looked to his left again but saw that the boy had his head lowered and was fiddling with his fingers. He must be nervous. 

When it was Chen Xia's turn, he stood upimmediately.

"Hello everyone! my name is Chen Xia and I like everything my dad cooks!" 

The class giggled appreciatively.

"I bet your dad is a great chef!" the teacher replied with a smile. "Now, let's have our final classmate introduce themselves."

As the boy next to him stood up slowly, Chen Xia noticed his nerves. He cupped his hand and whispered,"You've got this!" Hearing this, the boy's face flushed a little. He took a deep breath and started speaking.

"H-hi, I'm… Yang Qiu… and I like chocolate ice cream." 

"That sounds great, Yang Qiu! The teacher smiled. "Well, now that we know each other a little bit better, let us begin class." The teacher immediately began her first lesson. 

After the class was over, the teacher gave the kids some time to mingle. Chen Xia immediately turnedYang Qiu.

"Hello Yang Qiu! Do you want to go get some ice cream after school today with me? We should celebrate our first day of school! It will be fun!" 

Yang Qiu's eyes lit up as he thought about hanging out with a new friend.

"Yeah! Wait, is that really okay? Are your parents okay with that?"

"Of course! You're my friend now! We should play together. We can go to the store with my mom after school. I'm sure she'd be happy to see that I have made a new friend. You can just hang out with us!" Chen Xia was already very excited.

​Yang Qiu looked at Chen Xia, who seemed as if he was going to burst from excitement and second, and couldn't help but feel moved. I made a friend… I have a friend! A smile unconsciously appeared on his face. Even as the class walked to the lunchroom, the smile did not fade.

​In the lunchroom Chen Xia and Yang Qiu sat next to each other at a table in the corner. Chen Xia happily gobbled down the contents of his platter while Yang Qiu picked at a portion. Seeing this, Chen Xia paused and turned to Yang Qiu.

​"Yang Qiu, is the food not yummy?" Chen Xia was a bit confused since he was not a picky eater.

​"Well, I just don't really like mushrooms…" Yang Qiu was a bit embarrassed.

​"Then don't eat them." Chen Xia shrugged.

​"I don't want to waste it though." Yang Qiu frowned.

​"How about you give them to me? I like mushrooms. You can take something from my plate too as a trade!" Chen Xia suggested, partially out of kindness, partially because he wouldn't mind eating a few extra mushrooms.

​"Really?" Yang Qiu was surprised.

​"Of course! It is what friends should do," Chen Xia felt a bit selfish, but brushed off that notion when he looked at how relieved Yang Qiu looked.

​And so, Yang Qiu carefully picked out the mushrooms on his plate and placed them on Chen Xia's platter. In return, Chen Xia chose some pieces of broccoli and gave them to Yang Qiu, who gladly accepted them. He really liked broccoli. The two thus finished their lunch with satisfaction.

The afternoon was boring, and the two of them satin the back of the classroom quietly. They did not talk to each other so as not to disturb the class, but they alsodidn't really pay attention to the teacher. Yang Qiu focused his attention on the view outside the classroom window, where the leaves of a tree were shimmering in the afternoon sunlight. Chen Xia, with his head down and a pencil in his hand, put his effort into doodling on a piece of paper. 

​When the school day ended, the students flooded out the doors and into the courtyard. Chen Xia grabbed Yang Qiu's hand and dragged him along to find his mom. After a few minutes of searching, Chen Xia finally spotted her and pulled Yang Qiu over. 

"Mommy! Look! This is my new friend, Yang Qiu!"

"Hello Mrs. Chen," Yang Qiu greeted respectfully.

"Well, hello there! I'm glad you guys are getting along well. It's always nice to make some new friends!"Chen Xia's mom was extremely pleased that her son was able to make friends so quickly.

"Mommy, can we go and get some ice cream to celebrate our first day of school?" Chen Xia remembered the plans that he made earlier in class.

"Ice cream? Are you sure you don't want somethingelse?" his mom questioned. Xiaxia has never really liked ice cream… why does he suddenly want to eat it?

"Yeah, I'm sure. I kind of feel like eating ice cream today…plus Yang Qiu said he really likes ice cream so it would be perfect for celebrating today!" 

​Hearing this, Yang Qiu felt a bit embarrassed, but was also shocked that someone who he had just met was being so considerate of himself. 

Is my son being selfless? Wow, he is growing up! Noticing the odd behavior of her son as well as Yang Qiu's hesitant expression, Mrs. Chen spoke up.

"Alrighty then! Come on Yang Qiu, I will take you boys to celebrate your first day of school! Plus, we should celebrate your new friendship. We can also go see Chen Xia's dad at the restaurant afterwards to eat a celebratory dinner, as long as you're okay with that, Yang Qiu! Today is a very special day, and we should make sure to make some good memories."

Chen Xia cheered in agreement and pulled Yang Qiu's arm behind him, following his mom as they walked towards the convenience store.

The bells on the door of the convenience storejingled as Mrs. Chen pushed it open. The two boys followed her in, taking in the extensive shelves with an endless variety of foods and trinkets. 

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Chen!" The man behind the counter was one of the Chen family's friends.

"Good afternoon to you too!"

"Oh, and it looks like you brought little Xiaxia! And is that Yang Qiu? Why hello there boys!" The cashierwas good with faces, and always recognized the children of the local families. He was very happy to seethem.

"Yep, it's me! Hello Mr. Guo!" Chen Xia came to the store with his mom often, and so he recognized the man.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Guo!" Yang Qiu also came to the store occasionally, so he knew the man as well.

"We are going to get ice cream to celebrate our first day of school!" Chen Xia exclaimed happily.

​"My, my, you boys are growing so fast. Starting school must be very exciting, and having a celebration is only natural! Please help yourself!" Mr. Guo mused and gestured towards the inside of the store.

As they approached the frozen food area, Chen Xia took Yang Qiu's arm again and pulled him to the ice cream freezer. His mom watched them, amused.

"Go on, Yang Qiu, feel free to choose whatever youwant!" Mrs. Chen prompted.

Yang Qiu looked at the selection of ice creams,eyes landing on a chocolate flavored ice cream cone.But before he decided to reach out his hand, he turned to Chen Xia, who was watching him with a smile. 

"…Chen Xia, aren't you going to choose one too?" Seeing that Chen Xia was not moving, Yang Qiu became a bit confused.

"On second thought, I'm not that hungry right now. How about we share one? If that is okay with you of course. You can choose the flavor if you want."

"Oh, okay." Yang Qiu turned back to the freezer, feeling a bit awkward being the only one choosing something. His eyes glanced past the chocolate ice cream cone, but he did not take it. He looked around a little more and finally settled on one that could be broken in half, choosing a melon flavor. Chen Xia doesn't seem to like ice cream that much. Maybe because it is too sweet… Melon flavors shouldn't be too sweet right? I'll choose this one. He picked up the ice cream and followed Chen Xia's mom to the cashier.

"You find everything okay?" Mr. Guo asked.

"Yep, thank you," Yang Qiu stood on his toes to see the counter comfortably. He put the ice cream on the counter, then lowered his head to dig through his pockets. 

"Yang Qiu, you don't have to pay. I was going to treat you boys to this ice cream as a gift! Here let me pay for you. You could also just think of it as my appreciation to you for becoming friends with my Xiaxia!" Mrs. Chen spoke up before Yang Qiu could gather his money.

"It's okay Mrs. Chen, I have enough money… and my dad told me that I should not take other people's money for no reason-"

"Aw man Yang Qiu, today we are celebrating! That's more than enough reason for mom to buy us some ice cream!" Chen Xia cut in.

"Exactly what Xiaxia said! Don't you worry about the money Yang Qiu, I want you to enjoy yourself today." Mrs. Chen hurriedly pulled out her wallet. Mr. Guo watched, amused, as Mrs. Chen walked to the front of the counter and paid for the ice cream. Yang Qiu looked a bit troubled on the side, but he was indeed very grateful. They thanked Mr. Guo and walked back out into the street.

"Before you say anything Yang Qiu, I just want you to treat this like a gift! We are celebrating right now, sodon't think too much about it. You don't owe me anything," Mrs. Chen tried to soothe Yang Qiu. This child is so principled, he will be a good role model for my Xiaxia. 

"… Thank you, Mrs. Chen," Yang Qiu replied gratefully. He then began to open the ice cream, tentatively pulling at the wrapping. 

"Why didn't you choose a chocolate flavored ice cream? You said it was your favorite during class," Chen Xia questioned.

"Well… I didn't know if you liked chocolate, and it didn't seem like you did, so I chose something else. Don't worry, I like melon too," Yang Qiu unwrapped the ice cream, took one stick, then held out the other for Chen Xia to take. Chen Xia happily took the stick into his hands, and they both pulled. 

"Oh no, it split unevenly!" Chen Xia got the smaller part. 

​"Here, you can take a bite out of mine, that way it will be even." Yang Qiu wanted to be fair.

​"Really? Thanks!" Chen Xia happily leaned over to take a bite out of the ice cream that Yang Qiu had had held out in front of him. With the issue resolved, the two boys happily ate their ice cream and followed Mrs. Chen home.