Chapter 5 (2)

  Yu Xiang lay in bed, thinking about how to spend his three years of high school. After the lights were turned off, Yu Xiang didn't dare move, afraid that if he rolled over, he would fall out of bed. Stiff like this, he couldn't sleep either. The early autumn sky seemed to be competing with the summer sky for heat, so Yu Xiang could only get up and sit by the window, dozing off for a night.

  The next morning, Yu Xiang put on the school uniform that cost 50 yuan. During military training, he would rather suffocate his skin than get sunburned. The school uniform of Shi Nan San Zhong was long pants and long sleeves, and after wearing it for a few steps, he was already sweating all over; the shoes were also uniformly distributed by the school, with better sewing technology, and when worn, they felt like stepping into mud, and the fabric was even thicker than the cowhide Yu Xiang had blown.

  It's suffocating, and he cursed: "Damn it, it's not like this is how you compare!"

  The students of Shicheng No. 3 Middle School have been strictly prohibited from comparing themselves to others for many years. In the past few years, it was mandatory to wear school uniforms every day, but the students protested strongly, saying that it restricted their individuality. Those who usually say this are people who are unwilling to only wear school uniforms and have many beautiful brand-name clothes, with a strong backstage. As one side softens, the other side hardens, and the school's regulations become softer, only requiring students to buy them, but not necessarily wear them. As a result, no one wears them. Yu Xiang had heard that the school uniforms of Shicheng No. 3 Middle School were not suitable for the season, with summer clothes that could be used as water scoops and winter clothes with holes so big they couldn't even be used as fishing nets. Yu Xiang thought it was nonsense, but today he personally experienced it and half of his views have been proven true, and he couldn't help but exclaim: "Ah, how bitter to wear!"

  Sweating profusely, Xie Jingyuan heard: "This reflects the spiritual appearance of students." Yu Xiang shook his head, wanting to say no, but seeing Xie Jingyuan's serious face, he forced himself to say it out loud, thinking that in this era, the spiritual appearance is becoming more and more like a "face", a good spiritual appearance is like a dancer's face, who knows how many layers of makeup are applied; The spiritual appearance of students is more like a prisoner's confession, which can only be extracted through coercion.

  Everyone in Room 1 jumped out, all wearing school uniforms and teasing each other. To show off their uniqueness, several people wore Adidas headbands. Xie Jingyuan didn't understand and asked Yuxiang: "What's the thing on their heads for?" Yuxiang also didn't want to expose the vanity of human nature, saying: "It's for wiping sweat."

  The classroom was very lively, and even if a friend told a not-so-funny joke, they would still laugh out of politeness. Only when they became the best of friends would they stop giving each other face. Mei Ying walked in and said, "Who is Lin Yu Xiang?" Yu Xiang quickly stood up and said, "I am." Mei recognized his appearance and said, "Go to the principal's office, Principal Qian wants to see you." The students all admired Yu Xiang for being so impressive, getting called by the principal on the first day of military training. Yu Xiang remembered that he had accidentally broken a basin the night before, could it be that this basin could talk? He nervously walked into the principal's office, where Principal Qian was sitting with the basin under his chair. When Yu Xiang saw the evidence, he felt like he had been caught red-handed and slowly approached Principal Qian. Principal Qian put down his pen and said in a tone that sounded like he had been waiting for a long time, "You've finally arrived, good, sit." Yu Xiang wasn't fooled by the polite words and thought they were just the calm before the storm, preparing to deny everything. Principal Qian took out the basin and asked, "Is this yours?" Yu Xiang was about to make an excuse but went forward to take a look, thinking he could still deny it later. But after taking a look, he was so scared that he didn't even think of denying it anymore - there was a number on the edge of the basin, undoubtedly his own. Without resisting, he said, "It's mine."

  "How did it end up with me?"

  "It fell down accidentally last night."

  "Is it unintentional?"

  "Ugh, last night I was drying clothes, no, hanging them out on the balcony, and they fell down when I touched them."

  Principal Qian couldn't find the weakness of this lie for a while, and Yu Xiang saw that his fabricated report was effective. One lie led to another, and he said with a gleam in his eye: "No wonder I looked everywhere yesterday evening but couldn't find it - you must have picked it up!"

  Principal Qian was deceived by the linked words and also bore a false accusation, feeling bitter in his heart. He changed his angle of questioning: "Did you see anyone pouring water last night?" Yu Xiang said: "The people on the third and fourth floors."

  "Why didn't you stop him?"

  "How am I supposed to go?"

  "This is what you did wrong. As a middle school student, especially as a first-year high school student at Shinan No. 3 Middle School, you should fully embody a sense of good and evil, and you should resent evil like an enemy. You didn't participate, that's good, but you also can't just stand by and do nothing, you have to go stop it."

  Yu Xiang's lies were so convincing that he even believed them himself. In his heart, he was indignant and thought, "Why should I scold the one who saw the evil deed instead of the one who did it?" He said, "But I'm just one person, I couldn't stop it."

  Principal Qian picked on Rain's words, unable to find anything wrong with them, so he had to pick on the right ones: "You're wrong again. Even if it didn't work out, you should still show the spirit of a student from Shi Nan No. 3 Middle School. You should stand up straight and try, only then will you know whether it works or not. Do you recognize your mistake?"

  Yu Xiang was afraid of not compromising again, so Principal Qian would have to give a grand lecture, and he could only nod in agreement.

  Principal Qian handed the basin back to Lin Yuxiang, pulled out a pen and paper, and said: "What you wrote can't be called a self-criticism. It should be a reflection on what happened." Yuxiang didn't understand, so he wrote:

  Self-Criticism Yesterday evening, I heard that there was a burst of water splashing from the third and fourth floors of my dormitory building, wetting the clothes of the teacher in charge of student discipline. At the time, I was hanging up some dirty laundry on the second floor of my dormitory building, and I saw the uncivilized behavior of my upstairs classmates. However, I didn't stop them. Now I realize that my behavior was very bad, not in line with the provisions of the "Middle School Student Code", and I don't have the basic qualities required of a middle school student who will enter the new century. I must strengthen my collective consciousness, do well as a middle school student should, and never make such mistakes again. I will be stricter with myself and become a talent for socialist construction in our country.

  Lin Yuxiang's military training for a week was hazy, with the scorching sun overhead and no rain in sight. Shenzhen No. 3 Middle School is a pilot school for military training, so all eyes are on it, and the strictness of other schools is concentrated here. The students of the ten classes were like Kuafu, chasing after the sun. They practiced for three hours and rested for fifteen minutes, but everyone was numb and had lost their senses. Female students fell down one after another and were helped to rest by the side of the road. Yuxiang couldn't bear the pain once and scratched himself, but was scolded by the instructor, and even the fifteen-minute break was taken away. The last day of military training was the final inspection for the whole school. Mei Shouchang complained in class that they would lose face this time, and it turned out that the students of Class 1 (3) really did lose face. When marching in step, the team looked like the coastline of Europe, and the leaders on the rostrum shook their heads. However, this shame didn't last long, as several classes behind them made mistakes one after another, and the leaders' heads got tired from shaking, so they just sat back to watch the clouds rise, too lazy to shake their heads again.

  Finally, thanks to the selfless help of other classes, Class 3 unexpectedly won a third prize. The instructors were sent off and the subject teachers were welcomed. Although time cannot be returned, it can be made up for. On the first double rest day, there were over ten practice papers for each subject, which needed to make up for the time wasted on military training. When returning home, Yuxiang took the wrong bus again and arrived home when it was already dark. Lin's parents were frantically calling around looking for him, but Lin's mother didn't even go out to look for him, waiting at home for her son to return. After seeing her son, she felt relieved and couldn't help but run out to watch people play mahjong. Yuxiang was filling in those test papers when Lin's father came in to ask about his studies. Yuxiang found it annoying and the two of them had a big argument, ignoring each other. After calming down, Yuxiang realized that this argument would not bring good fortune, so he went to make amends, but Lin's father still had lingering anger and the two almost argued again.

  While eating, Yuxiang saw the pickled vegetables placed in the corner of the cupboard and his heart softened. He gave a piece of meat to his father and the two finally made up. The next morning, they were about to set off, Lin's father sent Yuxiang all the way to the station, waiting outside until the train started moving. Yuxiang saw his father pushing a broken bicycle with a weathered face, and his heart suddenly felt uncomfortable. Lin's wish was for Yuxiang to take the university entrance exam, and at this moment, Yuxiang's heart became particularly determined, he must take Tsinghua University. This determination was shaken off by the bumps of the public bus all the way, until they arrived at Sanzhong in the south of the city, there was almost nothing left.

  Xie Jingyuan was left alone in the bedroom, still reading a book. Yu Xiang asked: "Why did you come so early?"

  "I didn't go back."

  "Why don't you go back?"

  To save money.

  Yu Xiang couldn't ask any more questions and changed the subject: "Then, have you finished your homework?"

  "Alright!" Xie Yunyun replied as she pulled out her exercise book: "I want to ask you a math question."

  Yu Xiang covered up his nervousness and said loudly, "Go ahead and ask." Xie Jingyuan handed over the paper, Yu Xiang pretended to look at the question, but in reality, he had no idea what it was about, and was only thinking of how to bluff his way through. After a moment's thought, he exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, this is such an unusual question, it involves so much knowledge...it says..." Yu Xiang read out the conditions, waiting for Xie Jingyuan to catch on and say he understood, then he would add a sentence "I think so too". But Xie Jingyuan's mind seemed like a safe door that couldn't be opened for the time being, leaving Yu Xiang speechless.

  "After a moment of silence, Xie Jingyuan said: 'Is it that inside there is something involved that we haven't taught?'"

  Yu Xiang was about to use the words to retreat, but Xie Jingyuan took a step ahead and said them first. He had no choice but to resort to personal attacks: "No way! That's right, there must be an error, a condition was missed!"

  Xie Jingyuan nodded and said, "Well, I think that's probably it." Yu Xiang was relieved to have escaped disaster and didn't dare get close to Xie Jingzhou again. Xie Jingyuan asked without regard for Yu Xiang's presence, "I still have one more question." Yu Xiang listened as the words came out one by one, and he could only regret that he couldn't stuff them back into Xie Jingyuan's mouth. Just then, the door burst open and Qian Rong walked in carrying a bag. Yu Xiang found a scapegoat and hastily said, "Xie Jingyuan, ask Qian Rong." Qian Rong shook his head and said, "How could I possibly know? Ah, right, Yu Xiang, have you finished your homework?" Yu Xiang replied, "There are still a few blank spaces..." "No big deal, let me copy it!" Yu Xiang handed over his own paper to Qian Rong and asked, "Which middle school were you from originally?"

  Qian Rong put on a proud expression and said: "A private middle school, ha! They actually want me to do such an easy test paper."

  "What's wrong with this test paper?"

  Qian Rong disdainfully said: "I have at least read 10,000 books, going to do this kind of test is a waste of my talent."

  Yu Xiang's heart skipped a beat, thinking that this self-importance was something he had in middle school, but later unintentionally ground it down. This kind of self-importance is like a chopstick that has grown a little longer, although it looks very high and different from the others, but unfortunately, it can't be paired with other chopsticks, and eventually, it can only be ground to the same height as other chopsticks, otherwise, it will be discarded.

  Qian Rong this long chopstick is gold, can't be ground off, throwing it away would be a pity, so it's been kept until now.

  Qian Rong copied the history test paper and said, "Look at this paper, it's so superficial, not new at all. Have you heard of the 'Know Nothing Party' in the United States? Haven't you heard of it? Have you heard of the 'Stubborn Party'? The history book introduces Chiang Kai-shek but doesn't mention the 'Stubborn Party'. The level of the compiler is not even as high as mine."

  Yu Xiang was touched by his words, opened the cabinet and rummaged through it for half a day, finally pulling out a book. He waved it around and asked: "Have you read this book? 'Charming Words' by Wu Yanren."

  Qian Rongzuo rushed over with a look of great interest, saying: "Ah! Wu Yanren's calligraphy, I've seen it before! My dad seems to have had dealings with him."

  Yu Xiang's face changed greatly, and he asked: "What does your dad do?"

  Qian Rong was just waiting for this sentence and said: "My dad is the manager of Dong Rong Consulting Company, and he has connections with many writers!"

  Yǔ Xiáng asked: "What is Dong Rong?"

  Qian Rong's imposing manner suddenly deflated by half, and he said: "It's a consulting firm, haven't you heard of it? What kind of insight is that?"

  "Bring the book over and take a look!" After finishing speaking, he personally took the book from me. Upon seeing the cover "Wu Yanren" with a "Qing" character on it, he was shocked and quickly added to his previous sentence: "How can there be another Wu Yanren? My dad also knows one, a Shanghai writer, seemingly from the Writers' Association, who is actually a writer."

  Yu Xiang completed his words and took back the book, opening it to say: "You're not saying 'Stubborn Party' are you? Here's a joke for you; Four animals, a monkey, a dog, a pig, and a horse, discussed taking on nicknames. They were all worried that they had no talent for writing and couldn't think of anything, so they agreed to go into the city and take whatever words they saw as their nickname. The agreement was set, and the dog ran off ahead. Entering the city, he arrived at a certain temple and saw the sign "Stubborn and Ignorant", the dog said: 'This is my nickname!' A horse followed soon after, raising its head to look around but seeing nothing, then lowering its head and seeing the words "Deep Roots" on a stele, the horse said: 'I'll take this as my name.' Before long, a monkey arrived, jumping up and pointing at the sign "No Bias No Party", saying: 'This is my name!' Half a day later, a pig finally came along, searching all around but seeing nothing. The three animals laughed at him. The pig said: 'Have you guys already chosen yours?' They replied: 'We've chosen.' The pig asked: 'What are they?' They told him. The pig smiled and said: 'From now on, nicknames are only two or three characters, who takes four characters?' The crowd was taken aback, the pig said: 'No harm done, if you guys each give me one character from your nickname, I'll get a three-character nickname, and you guys will also each get three characters.' The three animals were overjoyed and discussed among themselves: 'Since he's asking for our leftovers, we can only give him the last character of our nicknames.' So the dog took the character "Stubborn", the horse took the character "Solid", and the monkey took the character "Party". The pig's nickname was thus "Stubborn Solid Party".

  He finished and burst out laughing. Qian Rong said: "I've heard this joke before, I don't remember where it was, let me think about it... can't remember! But definitely heard it!"

  Lin Yuxiao smiled and interjected, "I heard you mention it, and I just so happened to remember! What a coincidence, I brought this book with me. I also brought a few more, take a look." And then he took out the books one by one. Qian Rongzhen looked at them intently, there were "The Will to Power", "A Conversation between Emerson and Drummond", "Psychological Structure and Its Spiritual Dynamics", and "On David Hume's Death". Lin Yuxiao brought these books just for show, he himself had never read them, and the only book he had flipped through was "The Analects of Confucius" during his military training in the bathroom. The story "The Beast's Alias" was the first story in that book, and Lin Yuxiao had only read that one, but it just so happened to come in handy. Qian Rongzhen's arrogance was reduced by half, thinking that Lin Yuxiao was really a well-read person, but he didn't want to admit it out loud, struggling to say: "I've flipped through these books at home, my house even has two study rooms. I started reading from a young age, last time Zhao Lihong came to my house and saw the two big study rooms, she was so envious that she said her own Four-Step Study was no match." Lin Yuxiao knew he was bluffing, but couldn't find any evidence to refute him, so he put on a surprised expression. Qian Rongzhen asked: "And you?"

  Yu Xiang said, "My family has only one study room, but there are many books inside. They're all like these few books here. Hard to chew through!"

  Qian Rong said: "Just reading books can't be called a great scholar, I have seen many writers, listening to them speak is an artistic enjoyment, do you understand?"

  Yu Xiang has already forgotten the kindness of his benefactor, with a look of disdain in his eyes. Qian Rongkuo talks about his father's conversations with writers, as if all the writers in the world have been interviewed by Old Man Qian, including even the ancient Wu Yanren. A cold voice says: "Your English is not bad."

  "Of course. The most important thing about English is vocabulary, you guys are often satisfied with textbooks, it's really aissism, I read foreign classics without translation."

  Yu Xiang couldn't understand "narcissism", but he knew in his heart that it definitely wasn't a good word. The most painful thing in the conversation was knowing that he had been scolded, but not knowing what he had been scolded as. Yu Xiang searched through all the English vocabulary he had learned throughout his life, and hated that he couldn't find a suitable word to retort back with, and was at a loss for words.

  Qian Rong also said: "I was born with a personality that is beyond the ordinary, and in school, all the teachers called me a genius!"

  Yu Xiang didn't understand the meaning of "people outside the square" and could only flip through his book silently. That one English idiom seemed to change into two arrows, shooting and killing, leaving Yu Xiang defenseless. The two engaged in a fierce battle, with neither able to gain the upper hand, until finally they turned their spears towards Xie Jingyuan, who was reading English: "How about you?"

  Xie Yun raised his head and asked: "What's wrong with me?"

  "How many books does your family have?"

  Xie Jingyuan asked: "Hidden books? Including language and math textbooks?"

  Yu Xiang: "No, it's just this kind of thing." He held up that book, "Western Learning and the Fissures in Late Qing Thought", to show to Xie Jingyuan.

  Xie Jingzhou pushed his glasses and shook his head: "There's no such book in my house. My dad always says that people who read idle books are people with no prospects."

  These words enraged both Yu Xiang and Qian Rong at the same time, and they joined forces to rebuke Xie Jingyuan: "How can you say such a thing?"

  Xie Jingyuan repeatedly quoted famous sayings: "My teacher also said that the few books in class can't be finished, and the extracurricular books except for reference books should not be touched. Reading this kind of book will make your heart wild and you won't learn real knowledge."

  Qian Rong glanced at Yu Xiang, seeing that he didn't seem to want to argue, thought it would be beneath him to quarrel with such a bookworm, and casually said: "Many people are like this, thinking they're right, that's just human nature." This remark was not addressed to anyone in particular. Yu Xiang and Xie Jingyuan both remained silent.

  Qian Rong suddenly said: "Ah! I forgot to report my move! Yu Xiang, where were we?" Yu Xiang disgustedly said: "I don't know either."

  Qian Rong wouldn't let it go and said: "Maybe you're right, are you referring to my way of learning English?"

  Yu Xiang didn't dare say another word, fearing that Qian Rong would again hide in the foreign language to scold him. He spoke with Xie Jingyuan: "What book are you reading?"

  English.

  Qian Rong heard and said: "You can't learn English well like this! I have a book called 'GOeiththeid', I'll lend it to you. You must not mess with it or wrinkle it, after you finish reading this book, your English will be half as good as mine, understand?"

  Xie Jingyuan disdainfully said: "I won't look at it. You look yourself."

  Qian Rongyi laughed and said: "Damn! That's awesome! I went to see it myself, and it turns out that in this era, there are still people like a block of stone!"

  Yu Xiang Shou Zhu Dai Tu Ban Tian, finally met a word that he understood, and wouldn't let go of the opportunity to show off, saying: "What's with you being like a stone, you can't force your views on others!"

  Xie Jingyuan was deeply moved when he heard Yu Xiang defending his honor, and fearing that the two would come to blows, said: "Forget it! Forget it!"