"Remember to call, and one more thing: don't give out my home phone number, or you'll face the consequences! Got it?"
Daqi asked, "Why?"
Qi Wen seemed very angry: "You blockhead, this is a state secret, isn't that enough?"
Daqi smiled and nodded. Indeed, people wanting to know Qiwen's phone number could line up from the train station all the way to the school; in that sense, her phone number was absolutely a state secret!
Qiwen added, "I heard you broke your final exam record! You're so amazing! You'll definitely get a first-class scholarship. You'll have to treat us when you get your stipend!"
Daqi hurriedly said "okay" several times.
Daqi thought to himself, "This little rascal, I tutored you and you haven't even treated me to a 'thank you banquet' yet, and you're already asking me to treat you first." The beautiful woman's thinking was truly "robber logic," but she was so "robbery" that the man was willing to do it and even worried she wouldn't give him a chance to "rob" her!
It was time to depart, and Qiwen boarded the bus. Through the window, Qiwen waved to Daqi and said, "Happy Chinese New Year, Tong Dacaizi! Please give my regards to your mother! Goodbye!"
Daqi waved to her, finally seeing this "Empress" off. Suddenly, he remembered something. Mother, it really was his mother! Qiwen had just mentioned his mother. His mother was waiting for him to come home for the New Year! "Don't worry, Mom, your son will be back by your side in a couple of days," Daqi murmured to himself.
As soon as he returned to the school gate, he saw Mu Ping carrying large and small boxes, about to hail a taxi to the station. Upon seeing Daqi, Mu Ping was overjoyed and shouted, "Tong Daqi, I've been looking for you for ages!"
Da Qi inquired further and learned that Mu Ping also wanted him to take her to the station. There was nothing he could do; he'd been fortunate enough to be involved in this affair. He could only patiently burn each incense stick...
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Section Reading 3
"Beautiful Women Incense" is a gift to each "Beautiful Women Buddha" because he can't afford to offend any of them. Daqi doesn't want to offend any of them either, and he even hopes that the beautiful women will ask him for help when they need it!
Although Mu Ping was tall and slender, a full head taller than Da Qikuai and half a head taller than Qi Wen, she lacked Qi Wen's cheerful and outgoing personality, being more introverted. If Qi Wen was like a blooming peony, vibrant and beautiful, then Mu Ping was like a shy lily, pure and lovely. They were girls of different types and temperaments, each with their own unique charm. But they shared one thing in common: they were both beautiful, beautiful enough to make any man's heart flutter!
Throughout the journey, including after getting on the bus, Mu Ping simply watched Da Qi quietly. Before parting, she shyly said, "Da Qi, thank you!"
Daqi smiled and watched her car drive away...
Chapter Four: Going Home for Winter Break
Finally, he boarded the train home. The train roared towards home, and Daqi's heart also rushed towards his mother's heart! In a sense, his mother was home, and home was his mother, especially for Daqi. As the ancients said, "A mother worries when her son travels a thousand miles." Tong Daqi knew his mother's character and her deep longing for her son. Not long after Daqi started school, he received a handwritten letter from his mother. The old lady was semi-literate, knowing few characters, but she managed to piece together a letter and send it to Daqi's school. Daqi clearly remembered the scene: the envelope was stamped with a postmark—"0.30 yuan owed." Perhaps his mother's handwriting was too large, causing the letter to be too heavy. Daqi opened it and realized it was a handwritten letter from his mother. He remembered his mother never writing by hand; perhaps her longing for her son was too great.
"Son: Mom misses you so much! Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, the fifteenth of August, but our family isn't together. Are you doing well? Are you eating well? Mom misses you so much being at home. Tell Mom what you want to eat, and I'll cook it for you when I come home for Chinese New Year..."
After reading the letter, Daqi fought back his tears and hid in a corner, crying for a full half hour. He missed his mother too, and he harbored no resentment towards her. He knew all too well that the state of his family, including his own abandonment of his dreams, was all caused by his father…
The train finally arrived home, and Daqi got off with his bag. Snowflakes were swirling in the air. His hometown wasn't like the provincial capital, where it never snowed. But here, snow always fell in winter, a rare sight in southern China. The air was cold, but Daqi's heart was warm. Seeing his mother was happiness. Even the strongest and most mature person becomes vulnerable and immature in front of their mother, especially a strong one. Everyone dreams of being embraced by their mother, even if it's not a physical embrace, sometimes just a spiritual one. Daqi's mother was precisely that kind of unwavering mother, willing to give everything for her children. Daqi longed to be embraced by his mother's heart at that moment!
Daqi didn't go straight home, but went directly to the hotel where his mother worked. He knew the place well; as soon as he entered the kitchen, he saw his mother washing dishes amidst the rising steam. Although it was the dead of winter, his mother was thinly dressed but sweating profusely as she worked tirelessly, her hands seemingly never stopping. The old woman didn't notice her son standing behind her. Daqi slowly approached his mother; for some reason, he was afraid of disturbing her while she was busy, so he quietly watched her for a while before calling out, "Mom."
This single word caused the mother's hands to tremble, causing her to drop a porcelain bowl to the ground, thankfully without breaking it. The old woman looked up and, sure enough, it was her son. She cried out excitedly, "Qi'er, it's you! Mom missed you so much..." Forgetting how dirty her hands were, she hugged her son tightly, and Daqi, of course, hugged his mother back just as tightly... He could clearly feel his mother's tears on his shoulder...
Daqi unloaded his baggage and washed the dishes with his mother. The mother and son then walked home hand in hand. On their way home, they stopped at the market. His mother bought many vegetables, all of Daqi's favorites, such as pig's stomach and trotters, and of course, she didn't forget the aged stinky tofu from their hometown. This was, in a way, his mother's way of welcoming her son home.
During dinner, Daqi answered his mother's various questions. They were mostly trivial things like how his studies and life were, and whether he was eating enough. Finally, his mother asked if he often visited his aunt in the provincial capital. Daqi simply shook his head and casually said, "I don't want to go!" His mother paused for a moment, then said nothing more. Due to the fatigue of the long journey, Daqi went to bed early after dinner.
The next morning, Daqi woke up early to find his mother had already left for work at the hotel. Breakfast was already laid out on the table; Daqi knew his mother had prepared it for him. After eating, Daqi went out alone and wandered aimlessly along the main street in the county town. He didn't know where to go, just aimlessly strolling around. Before he knew it, he arrived at the gates of his alma mater, Changqing No. 1 Middle School. Suddenly, Daqi wondered how he had ended up here. Perhaps everything here was too familiar; perhaps subconsciously he should still be here in high school, like his good friend Kuang Dazhong? Perhaps he missed Meiting? Or perhaps it was nothing at all, just a chance encounter?
Daqi longed to go inside and see his former classmates and teachers, but he couldn't muster the courage to step through the gates of No. 1 High School. Just as he was about to turn back, a familiar voice called out, "Tong Daxuan!" It was a very familiar and sweet voice. Yes, it was Meiting's!
"Meiting!" Daqi exclaimed loudly, almost screaming, as he quickly turned around. It really was Meiting! But then again, it wasn't. Why not? Because the Meiting before him had grown into someone even more beautiful and captivating than she had been six months ago!
Meiting had changed her ponytail to long, flowing hair, wearing a black vest over a white sweater, perfectly fitted blue jeans, and white sneakers. She was truly more beautiful than before, with bright, clear eyes, vermilion lips, and a delicate, elegant nose. She was riding a white women's bicycle. A beauty is a beauty; this outfit accentuated her curves, and her charisma was always captivating.
Meiting: "You, Tong Daqi, you big bad guy! You went to Rongzhou without telling me, and now that you're back, you're not even looking for me. Have you forgotten about me?"
Daqi: "Meiting, I...I..." Daqi didn't know what to say. "I heard from my classmates that you went to a tourism school. Are you doing well?"
“Okay, of course it’s good! Vocational school is much easier,” Meiting said, “but there are also a lot of worries. You, Tong Daqi, I thought you would come to see me after the high school entrance exam, but I didn’t hear from you at all. I thought you were dead!” Meiting was still angry with Daqi for leaving without saying goodbye.
"I won't die, I won't die, I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?" Daqi replied humorously.
"Let's go, let's find a place to talk!" Meiting said.
Daqi and Meiting found a small bar near their alma mater and sat down. They both ordered hot drinks and started chatting. They talked about their respective schools and what they had seen and heard.
Meiting could have gone to the provincial art school to study vocal music, and she wanted to go too, but her family simply couldn't afford it, so she could only attend a tourism school to study tour guiding. Sure enough, a beauty is a beauty, and Meiting rightfully became the "school beauty" at the tourism school. Whenever she passed by the boys' dormitory, a large group of boys would sing, "I love the country, but I love Meiting even more..." (lyrics from the song "I Love the Country More Than the Beauty"). Her "situation" wasn't much better than Qiwen's or Muping's.
Daqi listened quietly to Meiting, nodding and smiling in response. Indeed, what reason was there for such a beautiful girl not to make the boys go crazy and sing her a song?
Meiting listened to Daqi recount his final exam results at school, and her eyes widened as she exclaimed, "Incredible! Incredible! I knew you, a genius like you, would be the best anywhere!" But her eyes quickly revealed a hint of sadness. It wasn't explicitly stated that Meiting still regretted Daqi not being able to attend high school; she hoped he would go to university, not a prestigious vocational school.
Daqi felt that time spent with Meiting always passed quickly and was fleeting; before long, it was dark. Meiting said it was getting late and they had to go home for dinner, but she insisted on dragging Daqi to her house for dinner. Daqi was a little apprehensive, after all, his parents in the mountainous area were still quite traditional. Many parents wouldn't accept a man visiting a woman's home. Daqi stammered, "Meiting, this... isn't quite appropriate...?" Meiting glared at him, "What's inappropriate about it? My parents know you, and they were just about to thank you for helping me with my studies; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to get into any school!"
Looking back, Daqi realized that his deskmate had helped Meiting with her studies quite a bit over the past two years, but it was nothing compared to what he had done. However, since the beautiful girl had extended such a warm invitation, how could he bear to turn her away? So he agreed.
Upon arriving at Meiting's house, Daqi greeted her parents warmly, addressing them as "Uncle and Aunt." Meiting generously introduced Daqi to her parents. To Daqi's surprise, her parents were quite welcoming. Daqi also briefly surveyed the furniture and furnishings of Meiting's home. It was clear that Meiting's family wasn't wealthy; in fact, they seemed somewhat strapped for cash, as evidenced by the 1980s-era black-and-white "Kaige" brand television in the center of the living room. Daqi then chatted with Meiting's father in the living room. Her father was quite amiable, and through their conversation, he learned that Meiting had an older sister who was already married, and an older brother two years her senior who was neither in school nor married.
At the dinner table, Daqi met Meiting's brother. It turned out that Meiting's brother was born mentally challenged, a stark contrast to Meiting's intelligence and beauty. It was truly hard to imagine that the siblings were so worlds apart!
After dinner, Meiting led Daqi into her small study, which could also be considered her boudoir, to chat and drink tea. Meiting brewed a pot of Tieguanyin tea for Daqi, knowing it was his favorite. Daqi sipped his tea while chatting with the beautiful woman. Their conversation eventually turned to topics of love.
Daqi: "Meiting, do you have a boyfriend yet? You must have a lot of guys chasing after you!"
Meiting was taken aback at first, then replied, "Not for now. It's because we're not good-looking enough that no one wants us, haha!"
Daqi: "Are you kidding me? You're the only one who doesn't want what others don't have, not the other way around!"
Meiting paused thoughtfully for a moment before slowly saying to Daqi, "So many people are pursuing me, but for some reason, I don't feel anything. Especially the son of a vice mayor who comes to school every day with flowers to chase after me, but I really can't explain why I just don't want to talk to him. Logically speaking, he's quite handsome, and his family background is decent, but I just don't feel any spark. What about you? Have you taken a liking to any girls from big cities?"
Daqi felt a pang of jealousy. It turned out that the mayor's son was pursuing Meiting, but he didn't show it. He simply replied to Meiting, "What girl? I can't even finish my studies."
Meiting continued, "Who knows if he's only after my looks? Those spoiled brats are really unreliable. If you find someone suitable, go for it. You're not still in love with Zhuo Wenya, are you? You were too obsessed with her back in junior high. I heard she's dating a talented guy now."
Daqi: "No, I've long forgotten about her. I just hope she's doing well..."
Meiting: "To be honest, Daqi, although you're not the most attractive person, you're a good person and so talented. You always know far more than us. But why does Wenya always ignore you? If it were me..."
Meiting didn't continue, just smiled. Daqi smiled too, a mix of helplessness and delight. Helplessness because his pursuit of Wenya for three years in junior high had all been in vain, delight because he seemed to read something in Meiting's smile. Actually, he had gradually forgotten about Wenya, and felt that Meiting's smile might be more suitable for him now.
Daqi wasn't stupid; he knew perfectly well that Meiting had always had feelings for him, but he wasn't sure if Meiting loved him at this moment. After all, Meiting was too outstanding, and what about himself? In terms of talent, he never thought he had any special abilities; he had simply read a few more classical Chinese books left by his grandfather since childhood. As for appearance, he wasn't insecure, but he understood that compared to those so-called "handsome guys," he was insignificant!
Meiting also told Daqi that her father was partially disabled due to a work injury, unable to do heavy work and with difficulty walking. Her mother desperately hoped that after graduating from vocational school, Meiting would marry into a good family, in short, a wealthy one, to help improve the family's financial situation.
Daqi was deeply surprised after hearing this. Yes, in two or three years, most girls who haven't gone to university will get married; this is commonplace in Changqing. Isn't Meiting getting married soon too?
But Tong Daqi is Tong Daqi. He was resentful. If others could marry Meiting, so could he! But when he thought about it carefully, what could he offer her? He was still a penniless pauper. After graduating from vocational school, he didn't even know where he would find a job. From a purely material point of view, there was no way he could marry Meiting.
Daqi stammered, seemingly wanting to say something but unable to. Meiting, seeing this, seemed very angry: "Look at you, Tong Daqi! Just say what you want to say, or I'll never talk to you again!"
Daqi forced a smile: "No...it's nothing."
Meiting: "Okay, okay, stop stammering, it's so annoying. It's late, you should go home."
Indeed, it was getting late, and everyone needed to rest. So Daqi left Meiting's house, and she stopped at his doorstep. Before leaving, Daqi and Meiting agreed to climb Wolong Mountain—a famous scenic spot located in the center of Changqing County—three days later.
Chapter Five: First Love
Daqi was walking home alone, feeling a little depressed, but mostly happy, because he was always happy when he was with Meiting!
Three days later, at 9:00 a.m. sharp, Daqi arrived at the foot of Wolong Mountain as promised. When he arrived, Meiting was already standing there waiting for him, Tong Daqi.
Meiting was wearing a Li-Ning tracksuit today. The white tracksuit made her look flawless and graceful. A white sun hat covered her ponytail, which looked perfectly natural on her angelic face. Daqi, being a man, couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of creation—how could such a beauty have been created?
Meiting took the initiative and challenged Daqi: "Let's see who gets to the top of the mountain first!"
Although Tong Daqi was a man, he couldn't climb the mountain as fast as Meiting. By the time he reached the summit, he was panting heavily and covered in sweat. Meiting's fair and delicate face was covered in a fine layer of sweat. As Daqi approached, he could smell the sweet fragrance of her sweat. Daqi thought to himself, "A beautiful woman is a beautiful woman; even her sweat smells good, unlike my own unpleasant body odor." But then again, what could he do? He was a man, and men were often called "stinky men," and he was just one of them.
Standing atop the mountain, Meiting climbed onto a massive rock called the "Peak-Suppressing Stone." Legend has it that it was created by a deity to subdue the mountain demons here, and it was enormous. Twenty or thirty people could stand on it at the same time. Daqi followed her up the boulder. Meiting cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted down the mountain, "Tong—Da—Qi—Xiao—Ba—Chi—!" She then burst into laughter. The shouts and laughter echoed through the valley for a long time, lingering endlessly. Daqi smiled happily; he felt that Meiting at that moment was like a child, bathed in sunlight, her entire body gleaming with golden light, truly like a fairy descending to earth.
The weather on the mountain was strange; it was fine a moment ago, but then the weather suddenly changed and it started to rain. This worried Daqi and Meiting greatly, and they hurried down the mountain.
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Section Reading 4
As they hurried along the mountain path, Meiting suddenly screamed, "Ah—!" Before Daqi could understand what was happening, Meiting had fallen. Looking closer, Daqi exclaimed, "My goodness!"—a flower snake was about five steps away from Meiting, its tongue flicking out!
Tong Daqi was also terrified of snakes and didn't know what to do for a moment. Meanwhile, Meiting lay on the ground screaming and practically crawling away from the snake. Although Tong Daqi was afraid of snakes, he was still a man! Without a word, he rushed towards the snake and kicked it. Luckily, he kicked the snake into a small ditch beside the mountain path, where it slithered away. Daqi quickly helped Meiting up, and then heard her cry out "Ouch!" Meiting couldn't stand; she had twisted her ankle. The girl's face was pale; she was probably terrified. Daqi quickly helped Meiting up, but it started raining, and Meiting couldn't walk for a while, so he had to carry her on his back to the pavilion halfway up the mountain. Daqi wasn't tall, and he wasn't very strong. By the time he reached the pavilion, Daqi was so exhausted that his whole body felt like it was about to fall apart.
But he didn't complain at all. While carrying her, Daqi felt how incredibly soft this woman was, almost boneless. Meiting's prominent breasts pressed tightly against Daqi's back, making him feel incredibly warm. Although carrying Meiting down the mountain was tiring, and Meiting's weight made it difficult for Daqi to breathe, as a true man, he felt a surge of pride. Because he could carry the woman he loved. A man should carry women, especially the woman he loves; no matter how hard or tiring it is, he must carry her!
Daqi put Meiting down and hurriedly asked her how she was. Meiting, pale-faced, stammered, "I...my...leg...can't walk..." Daqi helped Meiting sit on a stone stool in the pavilion. Concerned about Meiting's injury, Daqi, who usually avoided physical contact with girls, directly grasped her injured left ankle. Ignoring Meiting's shyness, he even took off her sneakers and the sock from her left foot. The injury was indeed serious—a large bruise. Daqi supported Meiting's left foot with his left hand and gently massaged the bruised area with his right, looking at Meiting with anxious eyes, asking how the injury was and if it was getting any better. Meiting's face had turned completely red, and she only softly replied, "Mmm."
After gently kneading and massaging for half an hour, Daqi finally realized that this was the first time he had seen the beautiful woman's long, slender legs up close. They were absolutely gorgeous legs. Straight and incredibly white. The skin on the woman's left foot in his palm looked so delicate. Her five toes were arranged side by side, as cute as five silkworms.
While Daqi massaged her injured area, Meiting whispered to him, "Thank you for earlier, that snake was so scary!"
Daqi looked at the shy beauty and said, "I will not let you get hurt!"
Meiting smiled and said, "You silly goose, that's a snake! Aren't you afraid?"
"I can't care about anything else for you. What can I do? I'm a man!" Daqi replied. Indeed, he felt a great sense of accomplishment at that moment, experiencing the sense of accomplishment of protecting a woman for the first time in his life.
Daqi continued massaging Meiting's injured area, his head bowed in his work. He glanced up at Meiting, and there she was, gazing at him tenderly, her eyes filled with affection. Meiting then brought her beautiful face close to Daqi's and suddenly closed her eyes.
Daqi was both happy and afraid; in truth, he had dreamed of this day coming. Without further hesitation, he pressed his lips to Meiting's and sealed them tightly together.
Both Daqi and Meiting gave each other their precious first kiss. At that moment, time seemed to freeze, and the world consisted only of the two of them. At least in that moment, Daqi didn't need to consider his identity, status, height, or appearance; he didn't need to worry about anything worldly. Daqi deeply felt that Meiting belonged to him, Tong Daqi! No one could take her away from him; he was Meiting's true man and protector!
At first, the young couple were shy and their kisses were small, but as the passion intensified, they increased the intensity of their sucking. Daqi devoured Meiting's saliva, finding it the sweetest and most beautiful spring in the world. Meiting's little tongue was so sweet and slippery, so adorable. It swam around in Daqi's mouth like a little goldfish. The passionate kiss lasted for quite some time before the lovers parted. Daqi saw that Meiting's face was covered in tears, and he thought they must be tears of happiness! Without hesitation, he kissed away all the tears on Meiting's cheeks. He vowed in his heart to kiss away all of Meiting's troubles with his lips!
"Daqi," Meiting opened her eyes and called softly, her voice incredibly gentle, "Do you love me?"
Daqi nodded and hugged Meiting tightly. He didn't know what to say; perhaps silence was the best expression of love at that moment. Meiting also hugged Daqi tightly. Daqi felt that he had embraced warmth, embraced spring, and embraced the tenderness that belonged to him.
As darkness fell, Daqi helped the limping Meiting down the mountain. He first took her to a nearby small clinic to check her injuries. After treating and bandaging Meiting's wounds, the doctor at the clinic told them that the injuries were not serious, she just needed to rest for a few days, and to avoid moving around too much in the coming days.
After leaving the clinic, Daqi hailed a pedicab, and he and Meiting got in. He took Meiting home. On the way, Meiting rested her head on Daqi's not-so-broad or sturdy shoulder like a little girl, and Daqi gently embraced her. Neither of them spoke, letting the pedicab drive towards Meiting's home.
As they approached Meiting's house, Meiting looked up at Daqi and said, "Daqi, don't let my parents see us like this. Let's stop here. I'll go home by myself!"
Daqi was a sensible man, and nodded in tacit agreement. He told Meiting he would visit her, and Meiting happily nodded. Daqi got off the rickshaw and watched Meiting leave. At that moment, a light, gray drizzle began to fall.
Daqi walked home alone in the drizzle. He understood why Meiting wouldn't let him walk her home; he understood her deeply. Mature beyond his years, he knew Meiting loved him, but would she truly belong to him? Heaven knows! He desperately wanted a million RMB, or even just a few hundred thousand. That way, he could confidently marry Meiting after graduating from vocational school. But was that realistic? Forget a few hundred thousand, his family probably couldn't even afford his few thousand RMB tuition. Oh well, whatever, let's just live for today! He was content with Meiting loving him today; who cared about tomorrow? To hell with tomorrow!
For the next two days, instead of going to see Meiting, he stayed home alone reading his grandfather's copy of "The Romance of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms." Although Daqi's family was poor, his great-grandfather and grandfather were prominent figures in the area. His great-grandfather, Tong Hailong, had served as a commissioner in the Nationalist government, and his grandfather, Tong Zhiren, was a wealthy capitalist. Mentioning the Tong family of Changqing County, everyone knew they were a prestigious family. Unfortunately, "wealth doesn't last three generations," and the Tong family couldn't escape this seemingly ironclad historical curse. By his father's generation, the Tong family had long since declined, with only the ancestral house and his great-grandfather's personal book collection remaining. Therefore, although Daqi's family was poor, he had the opportunity to explore ancient Chinese classics from a young age. His great-grandfather's personal collection consisted entirely of books on Chinese classics. From childhood, Daqi had the chance to browse books such as "Records of the Grand Historian," "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," "Jin Ping Mei," "Huangdi Neijing," and "Su Nu Jing," among others. He loved reading from a young age, and when he had nothing to do, besides watching television, he would read his grandfather's collection.