In the long journey of life, the beautiful years from seven to eleven have quickly passed, but we, in these hurried five years, studied together, shared the joy of play... In this evening at the Daoyue Restaurant, the childhood memories are still fresh, like colorful shells, supporting our colorful childhood.

Xiao Min was my first good friend during my school days. We haven't been in touch for many years, and the first person I saw when I entered the restaurant was her, and we still recognized each other.

“I heard you are now growing vegetables and raising chickens in the suburbs?” I smiled and asked her, as I had heard some news in our class circle.

It turned out to be true. After so many years, everyone has found a lifestyle that suits them. Xiao Min has short hair and still has a cheerful and lively personality.

We used to live in nearby neighborhoods, her house and mine were separated by a few alleys, and we walked home together every day after school. Passing by her alley, I loved to play at her house for most of the day. It could be described as spotless, and everything was neatly arranged. A small yard of about ten square meters was filled with various green plants and flowers, which of course was managed by her father, Uncle Dong.

We played rubber band jumping in this small garden, sat on the clean, cool cement floor inside the house playing stone tossing and bamboo games... Obviously, both the male and female hosts of this house loved life and pursued a refined lifestyle, which allowed us kids to play so comfortably.

“Cheers! Cheers!” Xiao Luo, the athletic star of our class back then, shouted loudly, pulling my thoughts back from afar.

Classmates raised their glasses together, clinking them, laughter filling the room...

Xiao Luo was the most celebrated in sports throughout our elementary school years, excelling in shot put and running, winning prizes at every sports meet and bringing glory to the class. She later became the principal of a primary school in the suburbs, and after retiring, she certainly enjoyed a carefree life. The high-end foreign wine and red wine at this gathering are all her family's collection.

Sitting opposite me, Xiao Wei, I almost didn't recognize him when I saw his avatar in the WeChat group last time. Seeing him gave me a feeling that made me want to cry. Is this really him? The cute little boy with a round face, resembling the character Xiao Dongzi from "The Shining Red Star," has transformed into a thin old man. I remember how impressive he was when he danced "The Red Star Shines on Me to Fight" in the propaganda team. I heard he loves photography and his works shared in the group are quite good. Later, I heard that his family has had some misfortunes, and his child has health issues. At this moment, he is chatting and laughing across from me, as if the world is all beautiful for him. I think: we have all experienced so much in different circumstances in life, each with our own fortunes and misfortunes. Life is, after all, a book filled with bitterness, toil, happiness, and touching moments.

Xiao Zeng, who rushed back from Shenzhen to attend the gathering that day, is an outstanding talent in our class. I remember back in second grade, since we were still very fresh and familiar with pinyin, the older brothers and sisters in fifth grade had learned it for a long time and weren't as familiar as us. The class teacher chose me and her to teach them to read in the fifth-grade class. I read one, and the whole class followed. At that time, we felt quite proud. In fact, she and I were not much different, but after so many years, Xiao Zeng has long become the president of a bank in Shenzhen, while I am still so ordinary. Fortunately, I can say that I am relatively well-off today.

Classmates were still speaking freely, not wanting to stop. Xiao Luo, the organizer of this event, raised her glass again: “Classmates, let’s have another toast! After three years of the pandemic, we can still gather together like this, how lucky we are! May it be the same in ten or twenty years! Wishing everyone good health! Happiness and joy!”

Yes, what will it be like in ten, twenty, or thirty years? It has been almost fifty years since I was eleven. Will we have another fifty years in our lives? Let’s cherish the remaining decades.