ECG -Chapter 3 Can You Return the Guitar to Me Now?

“Childhood is dedicated to all of you!”

“Wow—!”

Thunderous applause erupted.

The lively notes fell like large and small pearls dropping onto a jade plate, while his hoarse voice carried a hint of carefree mischief:

“Beside the pond, on the banyan tree,
cicadas are calling out the arrival of summer…”

The relaxed, joyful, and carefree childhood scene portrayed in the song appeared vividly before everyone’s eyes.

When Lin Hao sang:

“That girl from the class next door,
why hasn’t she passed by my window yet…”

A trace of happy shyness appeared on all the female students’ faces.

During the instrumental break, Lin Hao began whistling a cheerful and bright melody. Some students started tapping along with the rhythm.

The same song sounded like a happy and beautiful memory of youth to the students’ ears, but many teachers heard a hint of bitterness hidden within the melody. Their eyes turned slightly red as they also tapped along to the beat.

At this moment, a young man with sweat covering his head and face rushed in. When he saw Lin Hao standing on the stage, he froze!

“One day after another, one year after another, longing for the childhood that waits to grow up!”

The song ended with a cheerful rhythm, and Lin Hao stood up and bowed in thanks.

The rhythmic clapping turned into thunderous applause. Many people shouted for him to sing another song, and even many of the younger teachers joined in.

No one noticed that, at this moment, there was a pair of eyes below the stage staring fiercely at Lin Hao.

Those eyes were filled with jealousy.

Jealous that he had actually stolen his spotlight!

Lin Hao closed his eyes and spread open his arms. He raised the wooden guitar high above his head, enjoying the applause that belonged to him…

This applause truly had been long overdue!

He understood the principle of leaving while things were still going well. Amidst the applause, he walked off the stage without the slightest hesitation.

Many young girls were crying their eyes out.

A girl wearing small glasses murmured:

“I think I’ve fallen in love…”

A girl with braided hair had tears covering her face, yet she was still waving her hand and shouting:

“Come back! Life is wonderful because of you…”

The host walked onto the stage, announced that the performance had ended, and invited the school leaders to come up and give speeches.

Lin Hao returned carrying the guitar. Chen Shengli led all the students to stand up and applaud him. Soon, this applause spread, and the teachers and students around them also joined in.

The principal had only spoken a few passionate sentences before being interrupted by applause. In the end, he could only helplessly end his speech ahead of schedule.

The director of the school office sat below the stage, inwardly complaining:

“Ah, what a pity. My wonderful speech that was guaranteed to put everyone to sleep…”

…

The teachers and students of the entire school began leaving in an orderly manner.

Chen Shengli punched Lin Hao lightly on the shoulder.

“You brat, you were hiding your abilities all this time!”

Lin Hao rubbed the back of his head and put on a silly expression, laughing foolishly. Many female students gathered around him, chattering and asking questions nonstop.

At this moment, a voice rang out:

“Lin Hao, can you return the guitar to me now?”

Everyone turned around one after another, all wearing surprised expressions.

Li Yibo!

Chen Shengli’s face immediately darkened. He scolded:

“Li Yibo, what’s the meaning of this?”

“Teacher, on the way here I bumped into someone while riding my bike. The person was clearly fine, but he just grabbed onto me and refused to let go. So… so that’s why I arrived late.”

Li Yibo spoke with an aggrieved tone.

“You should thank Lin Hao! If he hadn’t stepped in, our Class Three would have become a joke!”

After saying that, Chen Shengli snorted, swung his sleeve, and walked away.

“Okay.”

Li Yibo answered. He took the guitar from Lin Hao’s hands but didn’t say anything else.

Lin Hao looked at Li Yibo with a smile, but he also noticed the trace of hatred hidden in the depths of his eyes.

It was time for Class Three to leave. The students lined up and walked out.

His classmate Wu Xiaozhou squeezed his way over and said with a grin:

“Haozi, you brat, you were really hiding your skills! Since when could you sing? And you even wrote your own songs? Were you struck by lightning or something? Hurry up and treat me to some barbecue!”

Lin Hao knew that this tall, thick-eyebrowed, big-eyed guy was his childhood friend, so he naturally felt very close to him.

He glanced at him. “So many people were booing me just now. Where the hell were you? Why didn’t you help me?”

“Damn, I booed you too!” Wu Xiaozhou burst out laughing.

This guy who kicked someone when they were down… Lin Hao rolled his eyes. “I’ve told you a hundred times, don’t call me Haozi!”

Wu Xiaozhou just grinned without saying anything and changed the subject. “Hurry up and treat us to something. Don’t try to get out of it!”

Lin Hao exaggeratedly patted both of his trouser pockets. “My pockets are cleaner than my face. What am I supposed to use to treat you?”

Wu Xiaozhou’s big eyes rolled around, then he turned his head and looked at Li Yibo behind them. “Hey, Li Yibo, Lin Hao helped you out big time today. Shouldn’t you show some appreciation?”

Li Yibo was walking side by side with Zhang Sisi. Hearing that, he could only say reluctantly, “Fine! Sisi can come along too.”

Zhang Sisi smiled. “Sure, let’s celebrate the successful performance!”

When Li Yibo heard the words “successful performance,” his brows furrowed slightly.

Lin Hao just smiled and said nothing, thinking to himself: This guy looks pretty handsome, but he really doesn’t have a very big heart!

…

It was only a little after eight in the evening. The row of roadside food stalls was extremely lively, with small tables and chairs almost spilling out onto the street.

The four of them parked their bicycles, found a spot, and sat down. Li Yibo helped wipe Zhang Sisi’s little stool clean, while Wu Xiaozhou nudged Lin Hao with his eyes.

Lin Hao smiled knowingly. Li Yibo had always had feelings for Zhang Sisi, and everyone in the class knew it.

Starting this summer, Chunhe had gotten several wandering singers who played guitar and sang. They carried guitars on their backs and speakers in their hands. At night, they wandered among the food stalls, charging five yuan per song.

The food stalls didn’t mind them. After all, the owners didn’t have to spend any money, and having someone sing could even attract more customers.

On an empty patch of ground ahead, a young man with a guitar was singing while playing. He had slightly curly long hair and didn’t look particularly clean.

Across the road was a small square. A beautiful short-haired woman was holding a microphone, while another person carried a camera. A group of elderly men and women gathered around them, excitedly talking about something.

The four of them sat down on small stools. Wu Xiaozhou shouted loudly toward the waiter:

“Four skewers of big kidneys, fifty small skewers, twenty big skewers, ten pork skin skewers, four chicken heads, six bottles of beer…”

After sitting down, Lin Hao noticed that many people at the food stalls had brought their children along. They were probably also celebrating after the college entrance exam had just ended, bringing their sons and daughters out to relax.

Some of the food they ordered quickly arrived, and Wu Xiaozhou asked Li Yibo to say a few words.

Li Yibo felt annoyed inside, but Wu Xiaozhou often hung around with local youths outside school and he didn’t dare provoke him. So he could only awkwardly raise his glass and say a few words thanking Lin Hao.

Lin Hao laughed and also said a few polite words. The three of them downed their drinks together, while Zhang Sisi only took a small sip.

At the next table, a middle-aged man in his forties was peeling garlic. The girl sitting opposite him was about the same age as Lin Hao and the others.

The middle-aged man placed the peeled garlic onto the girl’s plate. The girl looked annoyed.

“Look at your hands. You don’t even know to wash them? They’re filthy. How am I supposed to eat this?”

The man’s face turned awkward. He hurriedly said, “I’ll go wash them, I’ll go wash them!”

Not long after, the man came back. But those hands, full of calluses and black stains, still didn’t look clean no matter how much he washed them.

When the lamb skewers arrived, the man separated half of them and handed them over with the skewers pointing toward the girl.

The girl took one bite.

“Pfft!”

She spat it onto the ground.

“I don’t eat chili. Did you forget again?”

Several nearby tables were watching and whispering. A man in his early thirties wanted to stand up and say something, but the woman beside him immediately grabbed him back.

The middle-aged man mumbled, not knowing what to say. He rubbed his hands together nervously.

“How about… how about I order ten more without chili?”

…

Wu Xiaozhou stretched out his legs and pulled a wrinkled pack of cigarettes from his pocket. They were Amber cigarettes from Shandong Province, two yuan per pack.

He took one out, lit it himself, and grinned.

“Old Li, I didn’t get to hear you sing tonight. It’s driving me crazy. How about you go up there and perform one for us brothers?”

Li Yibo was already holding in a stomach full of anger. But because Wu Xiaozhou was good at fighting and had such a close relationship with Lin Hao, he could only sulk.

Now hearing this, he thought it was actually a good idea. Lin Hao had stolen his spotlight tonight—then he would steal it back!

“Sure! What do you want to hear?” he said, pretending not to care.

“Something you’re good at!”

“Alright!”

Li Yibo agreed, picked up the guitar placed beside him, and stood up.