Ju Nian was unfamiliar with honor rolls; she was used to being quiet and unassuming, like a drop of water safely hidden in the ocean. Therefore, seeing the large characters "Xie Ju Nian" on a bright red paper gave her a strange feeling. Of course, being a student, doing well on tests was always something to be thankful for, so when classmates said to her with envy or surprise, "Wow, Xie Ju Nian, you're in the top ten of the grade!" she always responded with a shy and humble smile.
When Han Shu and his classmates came over, Ju Nian felt it was time for her to retreat. If she couldn't afford to offend them, she could at least avoid them.
Han Shu's grades are said to be quite good, but this time he is not among the top ten. Perhaps his many hobbies have distracted him to some extent.
"Hey, Han Shu, you're only one point away from tenth place," Ju Nian heard a girl who seemed to be a classmate say regretfully.
Han Shu smiled at the girl but didn't say anything. He focused intently on the names on the list. Perhaps out of the corner of his eye, he accidentally caught sight of Ju Nian, who was about to leave. He glanced at her but then pretended not to see anything.
Zhou Liang stood on tiptoe and put his arm around Han Shu's shoulder: "If this list were ranked any lower, you would be eleventh. And in our class, you're in the top three. That's pretty impressive."
Han Shu shrugged off Zhou Liang's arm and said nonchalantly, "What's so great about him? My old man said he's never been out of the top three in any exam since he was a kid. My sister is probably not much different. I'm the first unfilial descendant of the Han family to fall out of the top ten. I'll be waiting to get a beating when I get back."
As he spoke, he glanced at Ju Nian again, seemingly unintentionally. That look made Ju Nian feel as if she had become a sinner who had contributed to domestic violence. She seemed to have heard from her parents' casual conversations that the seemingly gentle and refined Dean Han was extremely strict in disciplining his son. Compared to his wife's doting on their precious son, he believed more in the idea that "spare the rod and spoil the child," and he was quite ruthless when he got physical. Usually, he would be "educating" his son with great remorse while his wife threatened to kill herself to stop him. The whole building could hear the commotion, but no one dared to say anything openly.
Han Shu was wearing a bright red sports jacket today, an extremely flashy color, but he still looked quite refreshing and pleasing to the eye. He was the kind of person who, when he had to wear a school uniform, was always the most neatly dressed; if he could avoid wearing it, he would seize every opportunity and refuse to wear it no matter what. Ju Nian imagined Han Shu being whipped and scrambled to his feet by Dean Han, and she felt a little unkind herself.
"If you ask me, it's just bad luck. Look, if the person in tenth place had filled in one multiple-choice question wrong, this name should have been yours." Fang Zhihe also saw Ju Nian and fanned the flames from the side.
Han Shu dismissed it, saying, "Why bother saying all this?"
Ju Nian has also successfully escaped. She thought that this time Han Shu was actually quite reasonable. The political textbook was right; we should look at problems objectively, comprehensively, and developmentally. Perhaps the same applies to people.
Unexpectedly, Han Shu quickly overturned her views with his actions.
Ju Nian rode her bicycle home. Her bike was a Phoenix brand, bought by her parents when they got married. It must have been a good thing back then, and now it's safe even if she forgets to lock it. Ju Nian isn't very tall, but the seat on her bike is quite high, making it a bit difficult to pedal. The worst part is that something is wrong with the wheels; they make a loud clanging noise when they turn. But she rides around like this every day, so she's become quite numb to it.
Having walked quite a distance from the school, Ju Nian heard someone's voice amidst a rhythmic clanging sound.
How much does waste paper cost per pound?
The person who caught up on the bicycle was dressed in a striking red.
Ju Nian understood; Han Shu was mocking her for being like a ragpicker.
She didn't say a word, burying her head in pedaling her old bike with double the effort, but Han Shu's bike was much smoother. Ju Nian felt like her bike was almost defying gravity, but Han Shu was still right behind her.
"I'm asking you, what else can you do besides studying? It's because of bookworms like you who know nothing but studying that we have such boring things as rankings. You're the perfect example of high scores but low ability."
It turns out someone was using her as a scapegoat and outlet for their dissatisfaction with the education system. Ju Nian decided to overturn the idea of "looking at problems comprehensively, objectively, and from a developmental perspective." The book also said that phenomena may change, but the essence of things remains the same. His previous magnanimity in front of others was all an act! He harbored resentment towards her deep down.
"Xie Junian, tell me, what else can you do besides studying?"
Ju Nian's frantic pedaling had already made her sweat profusely in the winter heat, and she couldn't understand how Han Shu still had the energy to talk endlessly.
Finally, she realized she couldn't take it anymore; if she kept kicking like that, she would eventually die.
"I've already passed the intersection near your house... I've already passed it," Ju Nian said breathlessly. "Why are you following me?"
"Did you build this road?"
"Okay, stop following me, I've told you everything..."
"Tell me what?" Han Shu simply drove alongside Ju Nian's car, somewhat curious as to what she wanted to tell him.
"Waste paper... three cents a pound."
After Ju Nian finished speaking, she realized that Han Shu had finally disappeared from her side.
Han Shu used his foot to stop the bicycle on the sidewalk.
"Boring! Xie Junian, I've never seen such a boring person as you!"
The winter vacation had only been going on for a week when the Spring Festival arrived. Of course, visiting relatives is a must during the Spring Festival. So, after moving back to live with my parents, Ju Nian went to my aunt's house to pay New Year's greetings for the first time with the adults.
As usual, her parents wanted Ju Nian to express her lifelong gratitude to her aunt and uncle for taking care of her over the years. However, they didn't expect Ju Nian to say anything particularly touching; most of the time, she just needed to agree. Finally, her aunt suggested that since it was a rare holiday and everyone was together, the adults should play a game of "playing cards" together. Ju Nian sat down and watched TV for a while. Her younger brother fell asleep and was put on his bed in the small room. Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, she secretly slipped out and made her way to Wu Yu's house.
Wu Yu's family doesn't have any particularly close relatives. According to Wu Yu, even if they were relatives, they would avoid them given their family's situation. So, even though it's the second day of the Lunar New Year, there's no need to worry about him not being home when he goes to visit relatives.
After knocking for a long time, Wu Yu's grandmother opened the door, her body and mind in disarray. She was old, and when she saw Ju Nian, she seemed to recognize her, yet also seemed not to. Ju Nian helped her into the house, and it took her a lot of effort to realize that Wu Yu was not home.
Ju Nian took out a piece of candy that she had hidden in her pocket that morning and handed it to her grandmother. The elderly woman, who was over seventy years old and had almost lost all her teeth, was as happy as a child as she sucked on the candy. Ju Nian talked to the old woman for a while, but since they were each talking their own thing and neither of them could understand the other, they just chatted idly. Later, the old woman's attention shifted to the fourteen-inch black and white television in the house.
Ju Nian walked out and stood in Wu Yu's small courtyard. If anyone didn't believe that there were still corners in the city forgotten by the festive atmosphere, they could come and see for themselves. But looking at the crooked potted plants and the loquat tree that had only survived, she suddenly wished that no one would ever disturb this corner.
In the depths of winter, the south is devoid of snow, only plagued by persistent, drizzling rain. Hands and feet feel dull and numb. Taking a deep breath brings a cold, pungent sensation to the throat and lungs, instantly bringing a sense of clarity. Ju Nian loves this kind of winter. She waited for over an hour, but Wu Yu didn't return. However, she wasn't in a hurry. Rather than going back to watch the adults play mahjong, she preferred to sit on a low stool by the door, watching Wu Yu's yard and Ju Nian's loquat tree. There are many kinds of waiting, and this one is sweetly enjoyable.
It must have been lively outside; laughter and firecrackers drifted in from time to time, mingling with the distant, muffled sound of the television from the old man inside the house, creating a hazy yet enduring ambiance, like music from an old record player. A loquat leaf fell, landing on the muddy ground with a soft "plop." Just then, Ju Nian heard Wu Yu's footsteps.
She smiled and opened the courtyard gate for him.
Standing outside were not only Wu Yu, but also several strangely dressed boys, some of whom looked to be the same age as Wu Yu, and one or two of them were a bit older. They were either holding those loud detonators or cigarettes.
Ju Nian hadn't expected anyone else to be there, and stood there bewildered, her hand still resting on the wall by the door.
"Hehe, Wu Yu, you're hiding a girl at home." Someone realized what was happening and pushed Wu Yu, laughing hysterically. Several other pairs of eyes were openly staring at Ju Nian. Wu Yu took a step forward, turned around, and blocked Ju Nian's view.
"What are you talking about? They're our relatives," he said with a smile.
"Then shall we visit your family and friends?"
"Let's do it another day. My family has come over, so I'll come find you next time." Wu Yu closed the courtyard gate in front of the group, and waited for the voices to fade into the distance before walking back into the house with Ju Nian.
Before entering, Ju Nian noticed that Wu Yu also had a lit cigarette in his right hand, with wisps of smoke rising from it.
Ju Nian stared at Wu Yu for a long time, then at the cigarette in his hand. Wu Yu didn't move, nor did she say anything. She simply leaned over and took the cigarette from his hand, sat down on the small stool, and silently extinguished the small flame in the mud.
Wu Yu seemed to chuckle and sat down on the wooden threshold.
"How long have you been here?"
"Not long after."
When they spent every day together in the past, they didn't talk endlessly. They would often sit quietly, each doing or thinking about their own things. Intimate and tacit silence is actually one of the most pleasant things in the world. But this time, Ju Nian's silence was uneasy.
After a while, she said to Wu Yu, "Let's play ball every weekend from now on. I know a court where the rental fee is very cheap per game. As long as nothing special happens and as long as you don't say you can't come, we'll definitely meet there, okay?"
Wu Yu agreed.
Ju Nian's initial intention was very simple: she wanted to see Wu Yu more and didn't want him to hang out with those strange people. Wu Yu was a good person on the fringes, and she didn't want anyone to push him. Ju Nian thought that the more time she spent with him, the fewer opportunities he would have to smoke with those people.
Wu Yu is a man of his word. He comes every week, sometimes on Saturday, sometimes on Sunday. Each time, he informs Ju Nian of the next time in advance. When they don't have money to rent a venue, they return to the open space in the Martyrs' Cemetery.
On several occasions, they actually saw Chen Jiejie in the oldest badminton hall in the city. Ju Nian wondered why Chen Jiejie, with her financial situation, would choose such a place with such poor facilities. Chen Jiejie said that her badminton skills were not good, and it would be the same no matter where she was.
Chen Jiejie always brought a different partner each time. Sometimes when she was alone, she would politely ask Ju Nian and Wu Yu if they could have a match or two with her. Since they were classmates and the same age, and the other party was very generous, Ju Nian felt embarrassed to be too stingy. Over time, Wu Yu and Chen Jiejie became acquainted.
Being a girl at heart, Ju Nian couldn't help but awkwardly ask Wu Yu one time.
"Little monk, do you think Chen Jiejie is pretty?"
"It looks good," Wu Yu replied honestly.
"Then what?"
"And then what?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
When Wu Yu mentioned how good-looking others were, Ju Nian felt a little disappointed. But then she thought, Chen Jiejie is indeed beautiful, just like Han Shu is handsome. It's a fact, and Wu Yu was simply stating the facts. Good-looking is good-looking, but that's all. As for the future—there won't be a future!
In truth, Chen Jiejie didn't act overtly or infatuated. She remained as poised and elegant as ever. To create this chance encounter at the gym, she was exceptionally friendly to Ju Nian at school. Children from wealthy families are often more innocent and naive, and in comparison, Ju Nian felt ashamed of his own pettiness. Besides, Chen Jiejie was like a princess in a fairy tale, with countless princes lining up outside her castle. Why would she possibly be interested in Ju Nian's little monk?
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Vows are the most hopeless hopes in the mortal world.
After her second year of high school, Ju Nian's studies became even more intense. Although the Ministry of Education had explicitly prohibited primary and secondary schools from holding classes on weekends and holidays, key high schools like No. 7 Middle School invariably disobeyed this rule. Ju Nian had to go to school every Saturday like her classmates, which severely limited the time she could spend playing basketball with Wu Yu. Therefore, she had to tell her parents a big lie: she said she did her homework with her classmates every week. The lie was clumsy, but the listeners probably didn't pay much attention. Ju Nian's parents were used to their daughter being easy to manage; they thought a girl like Ju Nian would be a well-behaved child no matter where she was, and wouldn't cause any trouble. They certainly wouldn't bother to investigate where their daughter was actually.
Even so, Ju Nian and Wu Yu's weekly get-togethers gradually became problematic. To earn a living, Wu Yu, through a "friend's" introduction, started working at an internet cafe on weekends. At that time, internet cafes were just emerging in the city, and they were mostly frequented by young people from the streets. Ju Nian went in several times to see Wu Yu, only to be left feeling dizzy and nauseous by the stuffy air and smoke inside.
Wu Yu's playing time depends on the internet cafe's schedule. If he can't get away, he'll tell Ju Nian in advance. Ju Nian doesn't like those kinds of places, but she can't persuade Wu Yu otherwise. Wu Yu is different from her; at least she has parents, but what does Wu Yu have? Does he rely on his frail grandmother? With only government subsidies, he barely makes ends meet. He needs to plan for himself.
Working at the internet cafe often meant working day and night. Sometimes, even when Wu Yu arrived as promised, Ju Nian, seeing the bluish marks under his eyes, couldn't bear to torment him on the court. Once, right after a game, Wu Yu, who hadn't had a seizure in years, suddenly collapsed on the court, terrifying Ju Nian. Fortunately, there was no one she knew on the court at the time. After the spasms and convulsions subsided, Ju Nian struggled to help Wu Yu up and squeeze through the crowd of onlookers. So, their meetings gradually shifted from the court to their old haunt. Wu Yu often fell asleep under the pomegranate blossoms, and Ju Nian would sit beside him, watching the cars and people in the distance shrink to tiny specks.
On the weekend leading up to the final exams of the second semester of their junior year, Wu Yu was working at an internet cafe as usual. Ju Nian studied at home until evening, suddenly becoming worried about Wu Yu's exams the next day. His grades weren't very good, and if he didn't study soon, he'd probably fail several more subjects. At that time, Wu Yu's vocational high school had also been merged into the city-wide unified final exams. Ju Nian thought that although last-minute cramming wouldn't be very useful for Wu Yu's level, she could at least highlight some key points that would be useful in the exams.
Ju Nian told her mother that she didn't understand a math problem and needed to go to a classmate named Chen Jiejie's house to ask for help. Chen Jiejie was an excuse she'd been using frequently lately because Chen Jiejie had asked to sit next to Ju Nian during a recent seating arrangement change. Ju Nian didn't have any particularly close classmates, and although she and Chen Jiejie weren't very friendly, the name just naturally came to mind when she lied. Even her mother remembered having a classmate named Chen Jiejie, but neither her mother nor Ju Nian knew where the classmate lived.
The internet cafe was as dimly lit and filled with smoke as ever. The focused and excited faces looked somewhat eerie in the light from the screens. There weren't many girls inside. As Ju Nian lifted the heavy curtain and walked in, several pairs of eyes focused on her, making her feel like she was being pricked by needles.
Feeling embarrassed, Ju Nian looked around for a long time, then walked to the cashier with her head down. There was a hot girl with a golden afro and two unfamiliar boys.
"Excuse me, is Wu Yu here?" Ju Nian asked cautiously, holding onto the table.
“Wu Yu?” One of the boys, who was swaying and listening to music, glanced at Ju Nian. Ju Nian also noticed the unrecognizable tattoo on his wrist and quickly looked away, focusing on her own thoughts.
"Who are you to him? What do you want with him?" The boy made no attempt to hide his blatant gaze as he scrutinized Ju Nian.
Ju Nian hadn't expected to have to answer a question, and stammered, "I'm his good friend."
The tattooed boy looked at his other companion and laughed with surprise, "What's wrong with Wu Yu? He's got a lot of 'friends,' and they're all pretty pretty girls."
"Envious? Why don't you go find some too? Or ask Wu Yu, she'll give you all the ones she can get."
The boys laughed unrestrainedly, and Ju Nian felt both ashamed and frightened. But since she was already there, she had to find Wu Yu. So she asked again, "Is Wu Yu here?"
“He’s not here. But we are. How about we become friends? I have everything Wu Yu has, and maybe I’m even more exciting than him,” the boy teased Ju Nian as he leaned closer.
Ju Nian hurriedly took a step back. "He's not here, then, then I'll be leaving."
The girl with the blonde afro glared at the two boys. "Aren't you two shameless? Look how scared this little white rabbit is." She turned to Ju Nian and said casually, "Let's go to KK. Wu Yu should be there."
After the girl finished speaking, she looked down at her computer and started playing with her own things. A few seconds later, she noticed that Ju Nian, who had already received the answer, was still standing there without moving.
"Where is KK?" Ju Nian asked shyly.
KK was the most attractive nightclub for young people in G City at that time. It was inexpensive, had energetic music, and was frequented by all sorts of people, a real mixed bag. Following the directions given by the girl with the golden afro, Ju Nian successfully found the place.
Standing before the colorful advertising lights at the entrance of KK, Ju Nian felt a pang of sadness. Wu Yu had lied to her. Ju Nian didn't actually blame Wu Yu for missing their weekly appointment, but his refusal to tell her the real reason for breaking the promise had hurt her. She couldn't believe that her little monk's so-called busyness involved spending time in places like this.
Ju Nian's life had always been as simple as clear water. When she pushed open KK's door, it was as if she had entered a bizarre and unfamiliar world. Upon entering, the deafening music and dazzling lights left her bewildered and struggling to move. She took a few steps inside, and there were people everywhere, but every face was blurred in the interplay of darkness and light.
Ju Nian stood alone on the edge of the noise and madness, her heart sinking. She knew she couldn't possibly recognize her little monk in this chaotic crowd. They were originally companions who depended on each other in the same little world, but now, Wu Yu had stepped into a completely unfamiliar world for her.
In the crowded space, many people came and went around Ju Nian, like dark shadows. Wu Yu, lazily closing her eyes under the bright red pomegranate blossoms, smiled at Ju Nian in the light breeze, while the person next to her, bathed in sunlight like scattered gold, was also part of this shadow?
Ju Nian had no hope of finding Wu Yu, but she was unwilling to leave. She stood there blankly like a fool until someone grabbed her hand from the shadows.
She was startled, turned her head and saw the familiar little bald head, then smiled with delight. Wu Yu, however, did not smile. They both seemed to open their mouths and say something, but the music was too loud, and neither could hear what the other was saying.
Without saying a word, Wu Yu dragged Ju Nian by the hand and walked out. Once they were outside the gate, the world fell silent.
"What are you doing here? Who let you come?" Perhaps still not used to the quiet outside, Wu Yu's voice was louder than ever before.