The Forerunner of the Little Lunch Table!
Wang Yue immediately understood why the other children had made fun of Lin Dongzhe's underwear and why Lin Dongzhe had gotten into a fight with them. He smiled and reassured him, "What are you thinking? Your mom gave you a fertilizer-sack pair of shorts because you're always sliding down slopes. It's her way of caring for you!"
Wang Yue wasn't joking. Several times after school, he'd seen Lin Dongzhe and a few other kids sliding down a small slope.
The other children slid down on their feet, afraid they'd rip their clothes and get beaten when they got home. But Lin Dongzhe was different. He probably thought sliding on his feet was too unsteady, so he always went down on his bottom.
The other kids' pants usually stayed intact, but Lin Dongzhe's always had holes in them.
Wang Yue was also the sort to judge people by their appearance. He figured that since Song Ying always dressed so neatly, she must care about cleanliness too. Surely she wouldn't stand by and let her own son, the Lin family's only child, dress in rags.
Since there was no reason to blame the adults, the cause had to be the child. So Lin Dongzhe must have torn his clothes because he loved playing.
Lin Dongzhe thought Wang Yue made a lot of sense. Excitedly, he said, "Brother Wang, you're right! Anyway, when I slide down slopes wearing these shorts, I've never hurt my butt. Xu Ming in my class once scraped his butt on a rock."
Having fooled Lin Dongzhe, Wang Yue was about to take him home. But as they rounded a corner, they saw Song Ying heading home with a small bag slung over her shoulder.
From how close they were, Wang Yue