Today is the hottest day since the start of the dog days, reportedly reaching 51 degrees. I went back to my grandmother's house in the countryside with my parents to attend my cousin's wedding—a hot and fiery wedding.

When we left in the morning, my dad was troubled by constipation. Before we set off, he asked my mom to "assist" him with two doses of a laxative, but it still didn't work. Feeling that we would be stuck in traffic if we didn't leave soon, we called a ride and set off.

I got up early to get myself ready and knocked on my parents' door. My mom had already changed into the robe I made for her yesterday, looking delighted. I suggested she put on a little light makeup. Although she initially refused, she wasn't very firm about it, so I "forced" her to comply.

I applied a bit of foundation on my mom, shaped her "bushy and unruly" eyebrows with an eyebrow pencil, and surprisingly, even she felt much more spirited. For me, pleasing my mom is quite a task, but fortunately, I'm gaining experience.

I woke up around four this morning because I needed to complete the first practical exercise for a personal career action camp. I didn't have time yesterday, and I was worried I wouldn't have time today with the wedding, so I watched the learning video for the practical exercise early in the morning, which took over an hour. I was quite sleepy, but luckily, the ride took over an hour, so I managed to catch a nap on the way.

When we arrived at my cousin's house, my cousin had already gone to pick up the bride. A red tent had been set up in front of the house, with a poster of the couple's wedding photos displayed in front. My sister-in-law led us into the tent, where four large air conditioners were running at full power, making it pleasantly cool compared to the heat outside.

Under my parents' guidance, after greeting all the relatives from the countryside, I asked my sister-in-law to take me to her and my cousin's room to complete the practical exercise. She mentioned that the room didn't have air conditioning, but I said it was fine as long as it was quiet; I wasn't afraid of the heat. So she took me to where my cousin was in the living room. Seeing me in the room, he found a huge fan to blow air at me. I happily played the role of the little sister, enjoying the care from my family. Amidst the constant inquiries about whether I was hot, I spent over an hour completing and submitting my assignment.

Just then, the wedding car returned, reportedly with ten vehicles. The first one was loaded with quilts and daily necessities, which were being carried into the wedding house opposite my sister-in-law's room. At the same time, firecrackers started going off outside. I heard that the cars would come in one by one, and the firecrackers would keep going. Today, I wore contact lenses to put on sunglasses, but the gunpowder in the air irritated my eyes, making them tear up. So I decided to go outside for a walk and asked my dad to call me back when the bride entered for the ceremony.

I put on a sun-protective mask, wore sunglasses and a hat, and armed with an umbrella, I headed out, choosing to walk towards a country path behind the house.

The summer sun shone on the lush green fields, and the foxtail grass grew so abundantly on both sides of the path that it looked like it had been meticulously designed by a gardening master. In the gentle breeze, it swayed joyfully, welcoming every passerby.

I saw two cows grazing by the pond on the roadside and planned to go play with them. Just then, another round of firecrackers went off, the sound so loud it was comparable to explosions in a war movie. I covered my ears and looked at the two cows, which were still leisurely chewing on the grass. It seemed they were used to such scenes, and I lost the desire to walk over to keep them company. They might get excited and want to hug me, which I couldn't handle.

So I continued walking along the path, feeling the connection between the dirt road and my feet, listening to the rustling of the grass swaying in the wind, and hearing the chirping of insects while taking in the lush greenery around me. This sense of comfort surpassed the scorching heat of the day.

As I walked, I came across a large pond reflecting the blue sky, and the water in the pond was as blue as the sea—so beautiful! I took out my phone and snapped a few pictures.

Looking back, I realized I had walked quite far, so I turned around to head back. I noticed many beautiful small stones on the dirt road, so I squatted down to take a look. This was a way I had loved since childhood; wherever I went, as long as I found unique stones, I would pick up a few. Today was no exception, and I collected three pieces.