Volume 2 Meteorite River's Chill 19. The You at My Table (Part 1)

  Although I went to school last Friday to register and get my textbooks, Jiang Zhihan was still not slack on Monday. After all, no one wants to be caught off guard on the first day of school. The flag-raising ceremony every Monday morning is a tradition at Zhongzhou No. 7 Middle School. At 7:30, the flag-raising ceremony began. By 7:20, more than 2,000 students from six grades had packed into the basketball court. The flag-raising ceremony at Zhongzhou No. 7 Middle School is generally divided into three parts. Raising the national flag and singing the national anthem is the first part. The flag raisers and guards are selected by each class, with classes above grade two taking turns to be in charge. This is also an honor, as the flag raisers and guards are usually excellent cadres, top students, and competition winners from each class. After the flag-raising ceremony, of course, comes the leaders' speeches. Except for major events like the opening ceremony, graduation ceremony, and National Day, the principal doesn't often appear. The directors of the student affairs office and teaching affairs office are regulars, usually announcing new regulations, activity arrangements, and other matters. This third part is all about commendations, from scholarships to the presentation of various honorary certificates.

  After the flag-raising ceremony, the principal gave a speech for the new semester, which was nothing more than the school's construction being updated day by day, the country and society prospering, and everyone working hard to study. If you remove a few sentences related to actual events, the rest can be repeated for over ten years. After the principal finished speaking, it was time for the award ceremony for last semester's final exams. There were over 500 students in one grade, but only twelve people received awards. Two people got first prize, four people got second prize, and six people got third prize. Jiang Zhihan didn't get any of course, he was probably ranked around 14th or 15th in his class last year, and around 90th to 100th in the whole grade.

  The scholarship award ceremony has ended, and Jiang Zhihan is about to leave when he hears his name being called. He is a bit skeptical if he misheard it, but the speaker calls out his name again, this time with his class number. A classmate standing next to him nudges him: "They're calling you." Jiang Zhihan quickly runs up to the stage and receives an award for "Outstanding Moral Character" from the student affairs office teacher, who praises him for bravely stopping a group of thugs armed with knives from beating up a victim. The teacher says that this kind of heroic behavior is an important part of the school's moral education. Jiang Zhihan dazedly accepts the certificate and prize, which is a pen.

  This was the last program for today, and Jiang Zihan got off the stage. The students had already begun to disperse. Several male classmates from the same class gathered around to ask what was going on. Jiang Zihan wasn't familiar with several of them, so he just casually brushed it off without explaining anything. One of the boys who liked to spread rumors, whose surname was Xue, and whom everyone sometimes called "Trumpet Xue" behind his back, sarcastically referring to his love for spreading small news everywhere, mysteriously told Jiang Zihan: "This isn't good news, the real good news is yet to come." Seeing that one sentence had attracted everyone's attention, Trumpet Xue was very pleased with himself and continued: "This year we're separating into arts and science classes. Didn't twelve people from our class go to the arts class? And thirteen more came in. Jiang Zihan, didn't your deskmate go to the arts class? Do you know who your new deskmate is?"

  No. 7 Middle School starts to divide arts and science classes from the second year of high school, and students who are determined to take liberal arts majors are concentrated in two liberal arts classes. The original classes have two classes that were disbanded and assigned to other classes. The basic principle is that if a few classes that were not disbanded had a certain number of liberal arts students, they would receive a similar number of new students with similar ranking scores. No. 7 Middle School does not prohibit boys and girls from sitting together at the same desk, on the contrary, the proportion of boys and girls sitting together is higher than that of two boys or two girls sitting together. However, Jiang Zhihan's former deskmate, Wen Qiang, who went to the liberal arts class, is a boy.

  "Is it a beauty?" Everyone's guess was the same after hearing La Ba Xue's tone. La Ba Xue became even more pleased: "This news is absolutely first-hand, internal information, freshly baked, and absolutely true. You have to treat me to ice cream." Jiang Zhi Han didn't want to dampen his enthusiasm, so he briefly said: "Okay." La Ba Xue became even more pleased: "Once isn't enough, five times." Jiang Zhi Han was annoyed: "Kao, you don't need to tell me, I would have known in five minutes anyway." La Ba Xue said: "Alright then, I'll tell you guys... it's Ni Xiang." He dragged out his voice and made a forceful gesture to emphasize the effect: "Ni Xiang yeah!"

  Who is Niang Piao? She's the president of the student union in her first year, class monitor, an excellent student cadre since childhood, although not the absolute top scorer, but always ranked among the top three in the class. This time she just happened to be 12th on the scholarship list. She can play the piano and is often the host and conductor of the school's art activities. Of course, all this pales in comparison to one thing: she's very beautiful.

  In the first year of high school, she was fortunate enough to be selected as one of the top ten beauties in her grade, ranking eighth. Of course, there were also some different voices, and some people strongly believed that Ni Rong was just average-looking, but it was the halo of being the president that gave her a lot of extra points. According to the tradition of Qicheng Middle School, the student union president is usually held by a second-year high school student, with a term of one year. Because the third year of high school is too busy studying for the college entrance exam, and energy needs to be focused on it, while the first year of high school is not enough experience. Everyone agrees that the new student union president will inevitably fall into Ni Rong's hands.

  Some boys, of course, would make some jokes that are common among high school boys, such as "good luck" and "walking the peach blossom road", and someone even said "Chairman, you may not be able to enjoy it". In the middle, a person named Huang Sheng suddenly whispered: "Ni Xiang's reputation is not very good either. I know some of her classmates from junior high school, and they say she has a nickname called 'Big Sister'." Jiang Zhihan had never liked this person Huang Sheng, thinking that he was gloomy and always spoke in a biting tone. And biting, Jiang Zhihan thought, should be the nature of girls.

  The term "big sister" in that era and context of Zhongzhou wasn't a good word, it didn't mean a female gang leader with high prestige. It was a subtle implication that a girl's behavior wasn't quite proper. Of course, it was still far from being promiscuous, but this term generally implied that the girl was somewhat casual and didn't pay attention to her behavior when interacting with boys.

  Jiang Zihan didn't know Ni Xiang, although the name was well-known and should be one of the most famous students in his grade, or even the entire school. He had seen her from afar, mostly on the podium, like today's occasion, but actually didn't have much impression. In Jiang Zihan's impression, Ni Xiang was indeed a pretty girl, but specifically what she looked like, there wasn't a clear image in his mind. However, Jiang Zihan disliked how several boys would maliciously slander a girl behind her back, like Huang Sheng who had never been in the same class as Ni Xiang and didn't know her at all, yet spread unpleasant rumors everywhere.

  Jiang Zihan frowned, somewhat disgusted, and said: "You don't even know her, and yet you're talking about her behind her back. That's very impolite." Huang Sheng didn't expect Jiang Zihan to rebuke him directly, so his face immediately fell. Jiang Zihan didn't want to bother with him, quickened his pace, and left him behind, only hearing Huang Sheng intentionally speaking loudly from behind: "What a joke, not even at the same table yet, and he's already thinking of eating swan meat like a toad." It was strange that Jiang Zihan didn't feel the urge to turn back and beat him up. Instead, he found Huang Sheng somewhat childish and laughable. He shook his head, feeling that he had less and less in common with some of these immature high school boys.

  Arriving at the classroom, there was still a good amount of time before the first class started, as there were no morning self-study sessions scheduled on the first day of school. As soon as Jiang Zhihan sat down and put away his backpack, he saw a girl walk in through the door and head towards the seat next to him. Jiang Zhihan immediately realized that it was Ni Xiang, and couldn't help but take a good look at his new deskmate.

  She is about average height, wearing a plain white T-shirt, light blue jeans and sneakers, with a backpack slung over her shoulder, dressed simply and neatly. Her face shows no signs of makeup, her hair is combed back from her forehead, tied up in a ponytail at the back. Her face is slightly round but not fat, rather it gives off a sense of plumpness. Her features are very standard, the most attractive being her eyes, big and spirited. Her skin is very fair, with a delicate feeling to it. At first glance, although she can't be said to be stunningly beautiful, she doesn't disappoint as a beauty either.

  Ni Xiang walked to her own seat and sat down, introducing herself: "I'm Ni Xiang, your new deskmate." Jiang Zhihan smiled and said: "A famous name that's on everyone's lips. I'm Jiang Zhihan, nice to meet you." Ni Xiang said: "I just transferred to this class, I don't know many classmates or teachers yet, please take care of me." Jiang Zhihan maintained his smile and said: "I've been here for a year already, but I don't really know that many people either, so let's take care of each other instead."

  Ni Xiang had a good impression of Jiang Zhihan's calm and composed demeanor. She put away her things, thought for a moment, and said: "This time, when the class was rearranged, Teacher Zhang asked me for my opinion on choosing seats, just as a reference. I mentioned your name, but I don't know if you have any opinions about it?" Choosing a seatmate wasn't a privilege every student had, so this was a special favor from the teacher to Ni Xiang. Jiang Zhihan was slightly surprised and looked at Ni Xiang with inquiring eyes: "Have we met before?" Ni Xiang smiled and shook her head, saying: "Strictly speaking, no. But my aunt's mother works at the printing factory, and a few days ago she told me about how you helped that old lady who was wrongly accused. I told my father about it, and he sighed, saying that people like you are becoming fewer and fewer, and should be encouraged rather than suppressed. On Friday, when I saw your name, I thought you might be a good seatmate." Jiang Zhihan smiled and said: "Please allow me to prove with my actions that your decision is extremely wise." Ni Xiang laughed and asked about the developments in the case, and Jiang Zhihan told her all the details, from how he found Xianxian and Xiaocui to how he wrote the article and how someone came forward as a witness. Many of these things wouldn't have been written in the newspaper. Ni Xiang listened intently and gained a new understanding of this male seatmate. As for Jiang Zhihan, who considered himself calm and mature, he couldn't help but show off a bit in front of his beautiful new seatmate. If it were someone else, he might have just exchanged a few words and not gone into such detail.

  The first class was the head teacher's. As expected, Ni Xiang was appointed as the temporary class monitor, and the formal adjustment of the class cadres would be made two weeks later. After the second lesson, there was a 30-minute long break. Jiang Zhihan went downstairs to find Gu Wangshan, wanting to make an appointment with him to return his bike. When he arrived at the floor where the first year students were, he casually asked a few people, but they all said they didn't know. So he went to the grade office and bothered a teacher to check, who told him that Gu was in Class 5. He then went to the door of Class 5 and grabbed someone to ask, but the person said: "I don't know Gu Wangshan." He asked two more people, but got the same answer. Jiang Zhihan was somewhat puzzled, so he walked straight into the classroom and took a look around, but really didn't see anyone who looked like Gu Wangshan, and had no choice but to return to his own classroom first.

  As soon as they returned to their seats, Ni Xiang walked over and said, "Can you help me with something? I need to go to the teaching office to pick up a set of supplementary moral education materials." Jiang Zhihan didn't say much, stood up and said, "Let's go. There are only 15 minutes left before the next class." The two walked shoulder to shoulder down the stairs, heading towards the teaching office. As they passed by the small shop, Ni Xiang said, "I'll treat you to ice cream tomorrow as a thank you for helping me out. Time is really tight today." Jiang Zhihan smiled and said, "Okay, even emperors don't send starving soldiers into battle." He paused and then said, "Being a class leader sounds impressive, but it looks like it's a lot of trouble and you have to spend your own money on official business, like treating people to ice cream. It's not very worth it." Ni Xiang said, "There are really many complicated things. Have you ever been a class officer?" Jiang Zhihan shook his head and said, "I'm an anarchist." Ni Xiang looked at Jiang Zhihan seriously and said, "Actually, many people don't like class officers nowadays, but I think there are some things in the class that need to be done by someone." The girl in front of him was pursing her lips, with the sunlight from this morning reflecting on her face, and a serious yet slightly stubborn expression in her eyes. Jiang Zhihan looked at her and felt a little moved. He thought to himself, "I absolutely won't believe those boring rumors."

  By the time school let out in the afternoon, Jiang Zihan had been congratulated by at least seven or eight people for having a romantic encounter, and he had become desk mates with Ni Xiang. This included several of his acquaintances from other classes, as if becoming Ni Xiang's desk mate had made Jiang Zihan a celebrity in the class.

  After school let out in the afternoon, Jiang Zihan invited his best friend in the class, Chu Mingyang, to walk home together. Chu Mingyang had spent almost the entire summer vacation at his uncle's house in Lingnan Province, where it was warm in winter and cool in summer, making it an ideal place to escape the heat.

  The two hadn't seen each other for several months, so they naturally wanted to get together and chat. Jiang Zihan and Chu Mingyang's homes weren't on exactly the same route, but following their usual custom, they chose a middle path to walk together for a while before parting ways and heading to their respective homes.

  Chu Mingyang couldn't help but tease her: "Niangniang! Can you handle it?"

  In front of him, Jiang Zhihan didn't hide anything and spoke the truth: "My first impression of her was pretty good."

  Zhū Míngyáng smiled and said: "Is that Comrade Zhōnqiū's arrow?"

  Jiang Zhan said with disdain: "You're not unaware, love at first sight, I've never believed in it."

  Chu Mingyang said: "What's a good impression? Tell me about it."

  Jiang Zhan said, "Don't you think that most of the pretty girls here are arrogant like idiots? Nian Xiang is also considered a beauty, with good grades and excellent conditions in all aspects. However, she treats people with courtesy and humility, I think she's quite well-educated."

  Chu Mingyang asked: "I heard you had a fight with Huang Sheng this morning?"

  Jiang Zhan said, "That rotten person, isn't that his usual behavior? I'm too lazy to bother with him. His mouth is really foul." Then he told Chu Mingyang what Huang Sheng had said and asked, "Weren't you in the same junior high school class as Ní Liú? How could you have such an opinion?"

  Chu Mingyang hesitated for a moment before responding, "I'm not really familiar with her. We've been classmates for three years, but we've only exchanged a few dozen sentences. You know me, I can talk a lot in front of you, but I don't have much common language with girls. However, regarding that nickname of hers, I do recall hearing it before. Upon reflection, it's probably just some people being sour grapes."

  "After a while, he said: "I was quite close to Zeng Xuran at that time. Zeng Xuran's grades in class were also among the top, and it seemed that he had a crush on Ni Xiang for a while, but nothing came of it. He once told me that Ni Xiang is a formidable girl, she gets along with everyone but keeps her distance from everyone, and it's impossible to get any closer to her. At that time, some people in our class were gossiping, saying that Zeng Xuran, Xu Liang, and Zhou Zhou all liked Ni Xiang, but Ni Xiang treated them all the same, practicing equidistant diplomacy. Everyone joked that those three guys were among the most popular boys in our class, forming an equilateral triangle with Ni Xiang at the center."

  "Damn it, you guys are too precocious! In our middle school days, we didn't know anything, but you're already discussing love triangles!"

  Chu Mingyang said: "I say, when did our symposium become a discussion of Ni Xiang? I think you're really interesting."

  Jiang Zhan said: "Want to be desk mates for two years? I'm doing background checks, aren't I? Know yourself and know your enemy, then you can win every battle."