Cherry Blossoms for a Long Time (Part 2)

 Yingqi's argument with a seven- or eight-year-old boy happened that afternoon. Always

respectful of elders and kind to children, the reason he got so angry with a kid was because the little guy almost killed him.
At the time, Yingqi was suspended in mid-air by a safety rope, playing the role of a diligent and brave painter. Unfortunately, the wind was strong, and the rope was pulling his small stool against the wall, making a "thump-thump" sound.
This noise disturbed a boy on the 17th floor who was watching cartoons alone at home. The boy first opened the window and yelled at Yingqi, then threw a cup of water down. Yingqi glared at him fiercely, and seeing the boy shrink back, he assumed he was afraid. However, when he felt the safety rope vibrating rhythmically and looked up again, he was almost scared out of his wits—the boy who had just retreated into the room was now holding a small knife, diligently cutting the safety rope above Yingqi's head.
Later, if Han Dong hadn't been there, just above the boy's apartment, and hadn't heard Ying Qi's screams and swooped down to kick the window shut, trapping the boy's arm, Ying Qi would likely be in serious trouble.
That afternoon, still shaken, Ying Qi lingered in the neighborhood for a long time. That evening, when the boy's grandmother took him to the playground, he stormed up and snatched the Transformer from her hands, smashing it to pieces.
Yes, he admitted, children don't understand right and wrong; they're too young to make sound judgments.
So, as adults, we had to help him make a decision, to make him remember this moment.
Then, the old woman chased Ying Qi out of the neighborhood, waving a back scratcher at him.
As he and Han Dong fled the neighborhood, they ran into Zheng Jiujiu.
Only then did Ying Qi learn that Zheng Jiujiu, who visited Grandpa Zheng in the old town every weekend, lived there. He'd heard that Zheng Jiujiu's father ran his own business, but he hadn't expected him to be so wealthy. Apparently, the property management fees in that neighborhood were almost as high as rent in other places.
Ying Qi stumbled, grabbed Han Dong, and grinned foolishly at Zheng Jiujiu walking towards them. Zheng Jiujiu gave him a cold glare, turned, and went into the convenience store next door. The huge glass wall of the convenience store reflected Zheng Jiujiu's pretty floral dress, her spotless black leather shoes, and Ying Qi's camouflage outfit covered in paint. At that moment, Ying Qi felt the distance between them seemed to grow even greater.
"What are you looking at? Run! We're catching up!"
After being jerked by Han Dong, Ying Qi snapped out of his daze. Before the old lady's back scratcher could reach his bottom, he and Han Dong darted into the narrow alleyway next door, filled with red and white roses.
At the arched bridge at the end of the alley, Han Dong handed an ice pop to Ying Qi, sat on the steps, and looked up with her at the night sky, which was sparsely pierced by willow branches. He sighed deeply, "Don't think about it, Qi. This world isn't entirely fair. No one can choose their birth..."
Although Han Dong didn't say it explicitly, Ying Qi understood his meaning: he was saying that he and Zheng Jiujiu could never be friends.
Three months before his birth, his father died in a flood, leaving behind only a thin portrait on the table. Then, his mother, unable to bear the immense pressure of life, chose to leave him and his grandmother.
Even now, he harbored no resentment towards his mother. What could he expect from a weak woman who had suddenly lost her husband, raising a child and her mother-in-law?
After all, when she left, she left all of his father's compensation to his grandmother.
Thinking of this, Ying Qi, ice pop in her mouth, smiled bitterly, stretched, put her hands behind her back, and whistled at a passing pretty girl.
Han Dong was completely baffled by his ability to whistle while holding an ice pop, and could only sigh – some people are born with certain talents.
"By the way, what do you think about what Grandpa Zheng told you? Graduation is just around the corner!"
Ying Qi didn't answer Han Dong's question directly, but instead let out a long sigh and shook her head.
Grandma absolutely refused to let her join the army, even though Grandpa Zheng believed Ying Qi was a good candidate and promised to have his bodyguard take care of Grandma while she was away. Grandpa Zheng had confidently assured Ying Qi that if she was willing to join the army, he would help her find a good job after her discharge, but Ying Qi had consistently refused.
"You're so naive. Do you know how powerful Old Zheng is? He used to be a big leader. Otherwise, why would he still have bodyguards after retirement?"
Faced with Han Dong's questioning, Ying Qi didn't want to defend herself. She just muttered to herself in a voice so low that only she could hear, "Maybe some people are born to live in a well, not in the ocean."