Long Lasting Dreams Chapter 1

Ethan Jiang was not too young to go to school. He was still helping with farm work at home at the age of 7. His family lived in a town under the county. Every family contracted farmland and fisheries. Many children like him went to school in the city at the age of 8 or 9. In the early years, they were all stray dogs running around in the fields and fish ponds in the countryside. Even the preschool classes in the town could not control them.

The Jiang family was different from other villagers. They actively responded to the country's call and only gave birth to one son, Ethan Jiang. The key reason was that the family was poor and could not afford to raise more children.

After the Chinese New Year, mother Hannah Tan started thinking about sending Ethan Jiang to study in the city, but father Lucas Jiang was not very enthusiastic.

"After September, it's time to harvest the wheat." Lucas Jiang brought a basin of water to the bedside to wash Hannah Tan's feet. "Shenzi can still help."

Hannah Tan was not very happy: "It's good that he doesn't make trouble. Even dogs can't be as happy as him all day long."

Lucas Jiang: "Don't you have to go to the city to deliver vegetables every week? He would be very useful then."

Hannah Tan said nothing. She pulled her scalded feet out of the basin, wiped them clean and climbed onto the bed. Lucas Jiang made do with the remaining foot-washing water and soaked it for a while, waiting until it was completely cool before taking it out to the yard to pour it out.

When I came back, I passed by Ethan Jiang's room, took a look inside, and found that the child was still reading a picture book.

Of course Ethan Jiang also discovered his father. He held the comic in his hand and it was not easy to hide it or not hide it.

Lucas Jiang said coldly: "Do you still want to sleep?"

Ethan Jiang nodded hurriedly, carefully put away the Doraemon that he had rented with his weekly pocket money, and said obediently, "Go to sleep right away."

Lucas Jiang snorted: "If your mother saw it, she would tear up your book."

Ethan Jiang didn't dare to refute. He covered himself with the quilt, closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. When there was no movement, he dared to stick his head out again. After thinking for a while, he stuffed the comic book under his pillow again as if he was worried.

The next day, Hannah Tan got up early. She would not be idle during the weekend. She had to pick fresh vegetables and send them to the city. Ethan Jiang also knew this rule, so when he heard the noise outside, he got up quickly no matter how sleepy he was.

When Hannah Tan entered his room, she saw her son putting on a sweater with his eyes half closed and a listless expression.

"Don't wear this." Hannah Tan took out a thicker one, "It's very cold outside in late spring."

Ethan Jiang obediently said "Oh", changed his sweater, and went out to brush his teeth and wash his face.

Hannah Tan was still boiling hot water, but Ethan Jiang couldn't wait and just made do with cold water. It was fine when brushing his teeth, but it was so cold that he gasped when washing his face. He shivered as he finished washing and hurried into the house to wait for breakfast.

Hannah Tan said helplessly: "Why are you in such a hurry? Don't get frostbite on your face when spring is almost here."

Ethan Jiang drank the porridge and said vaguely "No". Hannah Tan turned around and took out the Pechoin lotion she usually used, spread some on her son's face.

The two packed up and prepared to go out. Hannah Tan took more vegetables, so Ethan Jiang had to help carry half of them. There was a bus from the town to the city, 3 yuan per person, and after deducting the cost of delivering vegetables, it was still profitable. Hannah Tan told her son not to fall asleep in the car and crush the bamboo shoots. After getting off the car, she bought a bag of White Rabbit milk candies and stuffed them into Ethan Jiang's cotton-padded jacket pocket.

"Hold it in your mouth when you're bored." Hannah Tan walked across the street. Further north was the city's largest cultural palace. "Don't run around once you're in there, understand?"

Ethan Jiang put the candy on his tongue and smiled: "I understand."

The city's cultural palace is really lively on weekends. For someone like Ethan Jiang, who has been running around in the mud since he was a child, it is a novelty to be able to come in and take a look. I don't know what Hannah Tan's ability is, but she can deliver food to several regular teachers there and run up and down. Ethan Jiang is dizzy.

The middle building is the dance classroom. When Hannah Tan went in to deliver the food, Ethan Jiang was waiting outside.

He was quite tall and could see the scene in the dance studio through the large window without having to stand on tiptoe.

The top dancers were all girls younger than him, dancing to "Heroic Sisters of the Grassland". The two girls leading the dance had pigtails in their hair, tight red and green tops, Mongolian hats, and their skirts twirled like flowers. The dance teacher clapped his hands and shouted the rhythm: "123! You're not spinning right! Turn your waist a little more to the side!"

After the girl in the green skirt finished spinning, the teacher was still not satisfied: "Open your arms! Use your legs! What are you spinning for!"

Ethan Jiang was so engrossed in watching that he didn't even notice Hannah Tan came out. He was sucking on a candy in his mouth, which stuck to his teeth and made a hissing sound.

Hannah Tan patted his head: "What are you looking at?"

Ethan Jiang came back to his senses and felt a little embarrassed.

Hannah Tan glanced at the dance studio and said, "Look how hard they work. They come to learn dancing at such a young age."

Ethan Jiang was a little confused: "Am I having a harder time or are they having a harder time?"

Hannah Tan was stunned for a moment, and then she smiled without giving her son any face: "Why don't you try to stretch your legs? Let's see who is working harder."

Ethan Jiang didn't understand what was going on, so he went to the door and poked his head in to try. The dance teacher knew Hannah Tan and greeted her, "Sister Ling."

Hannah Tan pushed Ethan Jiang in from behind: "Hello, Teacher Emma, this is my son, he's almost 8 years old."

Teacher Emma smiled and said, "It looks quite tall."

Ethan Jiang had never seen such a beautiful person since he was a child. She had fair skin and a good figure. She looked like a fairy when she stood in her dance costume. He blushed and wanted to hide behind his mother, but was pulled out by Hannah Tan: "Don't you want to stretch your legs?"

Ethan Jiang stuttered: "No, no more pressure."

Teacher Emma didn't mind: "Want to learn to dance? Try stretching."

Ethan Jiang had no idea what stretching was. Teacher Emma pulled a chair over and sat down, then waved at him: "Come here."

Ethan Jiang walked over as if in a daze. Teacher Emma asked him to stand with his back to her. She hugged the boy from behind and held his calf with one hand: "Stand up straight with the other one."

Ethan Jiang nodded, and Teacher Emma lifted his calf and started to stand up. Ethan Jiang was honest, so when Teacher Emma told him to stand up with the other leg, he really stood up straight. He didn't feel the pain until the lifted leg was pressed against his shoulder. But boys are taught from childhood not to shed tears, so he gritted his teeth and held his breath, and didn't say a word until his toes were above his head.

Teacher Emma was a little surprised. She asked Ethan Jiang to change his leg and do the Sam Shue posture again.

"Does it hurt?" Teacher Emma couldn't help but ask him after pulling both sides.

Ethan Jiang thought about it and said honestly, "It hurts."

Teacher Emma chuckled: "Why didn't you say it hurt?"

Ethan Jiang scratched his head: "It doesn't hurt that much... I can bear it."

Teacher Emma glanced at him again, and took Ethan Jiang's hand to find Hannah Tan. His mother stood at the door of the dance studio, watching the whole process, and rarely did she laugh at her son.

Ethan Jiang didn't know what the teacher said to his mother. He was still fascinated by the little girls in the dance studio who were supervising each other while practicing spinning in circles. One of them was quite unhappy when she found out he was watching her. She pouted and hid in the back.

Ethan Jiang watched them dancing non-stop until Hannah Tan came to call him back.

On the way, his mother bought him a handful of candies. She didn't say anything when she got in the car, as if she was worried about something. As soon as the car started, Hannah Tan took out her account notebook and started to calculate with a frown.

Ethan Jiang didn't dare to disturb her, his legs swaying back and forth with the shaking of the bus.

Hannah Tan looked up at him and suddenly said, "Do you want to learn to dance?"

Ethan Jiang was eating the candy and didn't react when he let out an "ah".

Hannah Tan tapped the notebook with her pen: "I go to the dance studio every week. Didn't you see it today?"

Ethan Jiang asked cautiously: "Do you need to stretch every week?"

Hannah Tan said coldly: "After learning to dance, it will be done every day."

Ethan Jiang bit the candy with his teeth and couldn't help but hiss a few times.

He didn't tell Hannah Tan whether he was going or not. When he came back, he ran to return the borrowed "Doraemon" and counted the deposit carefully when it was returned.

The owner of the rental bookstore was a little old man who was smoking an outdated pipe and had a pair of particularly old reading glasses that were perched on the bridge of his nose, almost falling off.

"Do you want to borrow more?" There was only one small bookstore like his in the town, and most of the kids who came to play there were familiar with him.

Ethan Jiang carefully put the money away: "I won't lend you money anymore."

The old man raised his eyebrows: "What's wrong? Did your mother beat you?"

Ethan Jiang shook his head: "No, I want to learn to dance."

The old man choked on the cigarette and smiled with yellow teeth showing: "Why should a boy learn to dance?"

Ethan Jiang: "Why not?"

Old man: "Little girl's stuff."

Ethan Jiang was not too happy. The old man looked at him again and suddenly said, "Wait a minute."

Ethan Jiang saw him go in to look for something, rummaging through boxes and cabinets, and then he slowly moved out with a hunched back: "Here." He stuffed a book into Ethan Jiang's hand, "For you."

It was a really old book, with the title page missing. When I opened it, there weren't many words inside, just some simple sketches of teenagers' dancing figures.

"You want to learn, don't you?" The old man knocked his pipe on the table, "Take it and have a look."

Ethan Jiang had candy and money in his pocket. When he returned home, he found the courtyard door was open. Hannah Tan was talking to Lucas Jiang, and his father was smoking with a look of disapproval on his face.

Ethan Jiang stretched his neck to look, but didn't dare to go in, and ran back to the field.

In March and April, there are many busy people in the countryside. The guy next door named Max has a hoe tied to his waist and is digging mud with a shovel to sow seeds. Now it is different from the past. Only children do this. Adults just drive the seeder.

"Gou Mao!" Ethan Jiang called him, "Where's Qing Linzi?"

Max stood up straight. Because it was cold, he was dressed like a ball and it was difficult for him to bend over: "What are you eating?!"

Ethan Jiang ran over and asked, "Do you want some candy?"

The dog hair opened his mouth and said: "Peel it for me."

Ethan Jiang peeled it for him, and Gou Mao was very happy holding it in his mouth: "You went to the city?"

Only those who have been to Ethan Jiang in the city will bring back candy.

Ethan Jiang nodded: "Where's your sister?"

Gou Mao: "She went to the city too. Why did she learn to paint? I don't understand her. Isn't it good for her to be so comfortable with us? Why did she choose to suffer so much?"

Ethan Jiang was too embarrassed to say that he wanted to learn dancing. He didn't want to be criticized by Gou Mao.

"Wait till we go and get the eggs?" Besides the busy farming season, the pheasants and ducks also laid their eggs at this time, and a bunch of wild dogs like to take advantage of this time to make trouble. "I've also made an appointment with Sam Shu and the others. After the weekend, they'll have to go back to the city to go to school, so they won't be able to enjoy themselves for a few days."

Ethan Jiang: "They are too old and always bully me."

Gou Mao put his arm around his shoulders and said, "I'm here this time, so what are you afraid of? Let's compete with them. If we win, Sam Shu's new phone will be mine this semester."