Chapter 288: Going to Third Brother’s School

"Jiaojiao’s singing is so beautiful."

"You’re only just realizing that now? I figured it out a long time ago. Every time Yun Jiao comes here to sing, I sneak over there to listen."

"Wow... the killer whales are back."

"Can we really not play with the killer whales like Yun Xiaowu and the others?"

"No way. I asked before. Yun Jiao said she can’t guarantee our safety, and my dad won’t let me go either."

The children chattered away as Yun Jiao finished her photoshoot for the day.

She said goodbye to the killer whales and started to head back.

"Yun Jiao, your dress is so pretty! Can I let my mom take a look at it? She promised she’d make me a dress."

In those days, most women knew how to sew. It was more economical to buy fabric and make your own clothes than to buy them ready-made.

But with their limited exposure to new styles, they only knew how to make a few common designs.

The pretty little dress Yun Jiao was wearing today completely captured the little girls’ hearts. Those whose families had fabric to spare wanted to make such a nice outfit for their own daughters too.

Yun Jiao didn’t mind. "Sure."

’After all, I won’t be the one who looks bad in it.’

Not long after she got home, Yun Chen Nan and Lin He returned, carrying the Conch Shell.

Yun Jiao ran out to greet them, her eyes wide with anticipation.

"Uncle, Third Brother, can I keep this?"

Yun Chen Nan nodded. "We already went to the police station to register it. Uncle Zhao said the living creature is a protected animal, but we can keep a shell we found. We just can’t hunt the Conch."

Yun Jiao’s face lit up with a smile as she nodded. "Then I’ll go wash it."

Yun Chen Nan rolled up his sleeves. "I’ll help you."

This Conch Shell was quite difficult to clean. To get it perfectly clean and immaculately white, they had to first wash off the accumulated algae and grime from the surface, then polish it with sandpaper.

When Yun Xiaowu and the others got out of school, they came over to help too. The group grunted and groaned with effort, working until evening, and finally, the Conch Shell started to look beautiful.

"It’s beautiful! Jiaojiao, hurry and change your clothes. Let’s take some pictures of you in the Conch Shell."

While washing the Conch Shell earlier, Yun Jiao had been afraid of getting her pretty dress dirty, so she had changed into her everyday clothes.

Then, the two women of the house eagerly dressed her up again. She posed lying and sitting in the white Conch Shell, and they took a lot of pictures.

Yun Xiaowu and the others even went to catch fireflies and placed them around her.

Although it wasn’t as clear as in the daytime, they used the moonlight and a flashlight for lighting, capturing the feeling of a little fairy under the moon.

In 1984, when most people didn’t even think about taking pictures, her family was already giving Yun Jiao artistic photoshoots.

Of course, Yun Jiao, who loved all things beautiful, enjoyed it very much herself.

She even pulled in Brother Nine, who had changed into a replica of a small military uniform, to take pictures with her.

Yun Xiaowu and the others watched with envy, clamoring that they wanted photos too.

Seizing the opportunity, Yun Jiao raised her little hand. "Let’s go buy a sewing machine tomorrow!"

"Mom, Auntie, make pretty clothes for my brothers too."

"A sewing machine will make it faster."

Everyone didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

"Did you forget we don’t have the ration ticket for a sewing machine?"

Yun Jiao’s eyes darted around. "Uncle Hongfei said he has one."

"Alright, alright. We’ll go buy one as soon as we get a ticket."

The night passed happily.

Over the next two days, Yun Jiao wore her other two pretty little dresses for various photoshoots, and every single picture was beautiful.

Developing the photos this time would probably cost a lot of money. After all, they weren’t just sending them to Wu Lan, but also to her first and second brothers, as well as her good friend, Fu Mingyu.

They had been keeping in touch with Fu Mingyu by exchanging gifts and letters every month or two.

Of course, they didn’t forget about her grandfather and Grandma in the Capital, or her Sixth Brother.

"Third Brother, are you about to take your exams?"

Yun Chen Nan was preparing his things.

"Yeah. Today, Dad and I are going to the school to bring some of my things back."

"I want to go too!"

Yun Jiao was very enthusiastic. She had never been to her third brother’s school before.

"Okay, okay, everyone can go. In that case, we won’t take the motorcycle. We’ll take the public bus."

Yun Jiao declared, "I want to wear a pretty dress, the blue one."

She put on her little dress, her hair was tied into two pretty braids, and then she skipped away, holding the hands of her two big brothers.

Yun Chenbei was also going to the school to help. Since he was going, Lin He didn’t.

Three people were more than enough to carry back the things.

The bus swayed along its route to the school. Yun Jiao saw people coming and going at the school gate.

The county high school was much more impressive than the elementary school in their small town.

The students’ faces were brimming with youthful energy. Some carried books, walking and chatting in groups of two or three, their eyes full of hope for the future. Every one of them looked full of spirit.

"Hey, Yun Chen Nan."

Hearing someone call his name, Yun Chen Nan, who was holding Yun Jiao, looked over.

"Zhou Guokang."

"You’re here to move your things today too, huh? And these two are..."

Yun Chen Nan introduced them to each other.

"This is my younger brother, Yun Chenbei, and this is my younger sister, Yun Jiao."

"Jiaojiao, this is my classmate, Zhou Guokang."

Yun Jiao said, "Hello, Brother Zhou."

"Ah, hello, hello..."

Zhou Guokang couldn’t help but stare at Yun Jiao.

’Good heavens, how can Yun Chen Nan’s sister be so beautiful?’

In fact, it wasn’t just him; the male and female students all around couldn’t resist taking a few extra glances.

"What a pretty little girl."

"Her skin is so fair. She’s the best-looking child I’ve ever seen."

"Her dress is pretty too. I almost want to go say hi."

"Then go on!"

"Oh, I don’t dare."

A short distance away, a few girls were nudging each other, glancing over at Yun Jiao several times. They looked like they wanted to say hello but were too shy.

Yun Jiao, holding onto her third brother’s shoulders, looked toward them with her bright, dewy eyes, and then her eyes curved into a slight smile.

Yun Chen Nan was talking to Zhou Guokang as he carried her into the school.

The girls only reacted after they had walked away.

One of the girls said with determination, "When I find a partner in the future, I’m definitely going to find a good-looking one and have a daughter this beautiful too."

’It’s so agonizing to see such a pretty little girl who belongs to someone else, knowing you can only look but can’t raise her yourself.’

"Hee hee... You don’t even have a boyfriend yet and you’re already thinking about kids. You’re shameless."

Meanwhile, Yun Chen Nan and his group arrived at the boys’ dormitory building.

The dormitory was a tall concrete building with white tiles on the outside. Inside, it felt a bit stuffy and crowded.

In this weather, there were no fans in the dorms. The school didn’t have the funds to equip every room with one.

"Our dorm has emptied out a lot. Looks like some people have already moved their stuff out."

As soon as he opened the dorm room door, Zhou Guokang greeted them enthusiastically.

"Little sister, and Yun Chen Nan’s brother, please have a seat. I’ll go get you some water to drink."

Yun Chen Nan said, "No need, I’ll go."

"Hey, why be so polite with me? It’s all thanks to you tutoring me on weekdays that I have any confidence at all for this exam. Just sit tight, I’ll go get the water."