The Chinese teacher's finger-flicking technique was always so accurate; no matter how deep Ju Nian's head was buried, she always landed precisely on it. Oblivious to the danger, she would always let out an "Ouch!" each time, greatly satisfying the attacker's sense of accomplishment.
"Xie Junian, come back to me, come back to me... Alright, answer me a question." The Chinese teacher's opening remarks were always the same. Sometimes he would sigh and say that he would rather see Xie Junian sleeping soundly on her desk than see her staring blankly, as if she were in a dream.
Then, amidst the laughter of her classmates, Ju Nian would slowly stand up, her face flushed, and answer the teacher's questions. Their homeroom teacher liked to extend class time, and often, after other classes had finished, they would gather outside their classroom, watching the spectacle and joining in the commotion.
Although Ju Nian was embarrassed and stammered when nervous, she rarely made mistakes when answering questions. It wasn't that she loved reviewing; at the beginning of the semester, she liked to read her Chinese textbook like a collection of novels. She loved the articles, but disliked the profound themes. Speaking of which, although her Chinese teacher liked to flick Ju Nian's head with chalk, he didn't give her much trouble despite her repeated mistakes. The reason was probably that Ju Nian's grades had always been excellent since high school. She was a daydreaming top student, and a top student at that. Moreover, she seemed well-behaved, and when she did something wrong, she looked as innocent as a little rabbit. As her homeroom teacher, it was always difficult to be harsh with such a student.
Actually, it's not surprising that I got good grades. Since starting school at No. 7 Middle School, studying has been the only serious thing I could do besides daydreaming. After doing so many algebra and geometry problems, chemical equations, and English reading comprehension exercises, I even found some enjoyment in them. It was like talking to them, and after a while, we would discuss and reach a conclusion. This was much more interesting than boys chasing and fighting outside the classroom or girls discussing who liked whom.
Oh, right, Ju Nian also writes letters to Wu Yu. Although it's a bit strange to write letters when they live in the same city, Ju Nian persists, writing one letter a week, and sometimes two when she has more to say. She carefully affixes a 50-cent stamp to the envelope, and her thoughts begin to be sent.
Ju Nian only has Wu Yu as a friend. When Wu Yu is around, Ju Nian is everything; when Wu Yu is not around, everything is about him. The best flowers should be enjoyed with Wu Yu, the heaviest rain should be shared with Wu Yu, and the happiest and saddest things should all be shared with Wu Yu.
Ju Nian was already a young woman in her prime. Perhaps she could vaguely sense the hints of that unrequited love in her own thoughts, but as she thought about it, she smiled to herself. She and Wu Yu had so much to say, but there were also things they didn't need to say.
Wu Yu's replies weren't as frequent as Ju Nian's, which was understandable; he had always been a boy of few words. In his letters to Ju Nian, besides saying he was doing well, the blank space on the letter paper contained only a drawing of two trees, one larger, the other still growing. His drawing skills weren't great; the two trees were barely recognizable. When Ju Nian read the letters, the girl sitting next to him would sometimes glance at them and would say, "Xie Ju Nian, why do you always receive the same letter?"
None of them understood. Only Ju Nian could see that the smaller tree was gradually growing taller, and the number of leaves had increased from five to twenty-three. The larger tree had finished blooming and then withered.
Two trees, pomegranate and loquat, witch's rain and orange year.
Because of these girls' inner thoughts, Ju Nian sometimes pays attention to the discussions among the girls sitting next to her. Children of this age have the heaviest academic workload and the most dreams. There's never an end to the discussions about the boys in the same grade and older grades—the handsome ones, the outstanding ones, the athletic ones, the tall ones.
Once, my deskmate suddenly asked Ju Nian, who was looking down at "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", "Hey, Xie Ju Nian, what do you think of functions?"
Ju Nian was an introverted child who didn't interact much with her classmates. She seemed to be someone outside of various small circles. When she heard other girls asking her questions, she felt quite honored and excited. Her spirits lifted immediately, and she answered seriously and wholeheartedly.
"Functions? I think they're pretty good. I quite like them," she said, closing the book.
Upon hearing this, the girls' eyes widened, and several of them began to whisper among themselves.
Ju Nian's deskmate nudged her with his elbow: "Well done, Ju Nian. You're quite bold, but everyone says functions are really hard to understand."
Ju Nian sat up straight and said seriously, "No, it's not that difficult. Once you memorize a few formulas, it'll be easy." She tried to learn the same language style as everyone else.
"Formula? What formula?" my deskmate asked in a surprised, shrill voice.
Do they all choose to daydream during math class?
Ju Nian picked up her notebook, ready to enthusiastically answer her classmates' questions. Only then did she think to ask, "Are you talking about multivariable functions or inverse functions?"
Everyone seemed stunned. My deskmate rolled his eyes and said, "Tch, I thought you said you liked functions."
Ju Nian hesitated for a moment, "Actually, I prefer solid geometry."
She was thus dubbed a "bookworm." After thinking about it for a while, Ju Nian realized with a start that this "Han Shu" was not the same as that "Function." She wasn't really that confused; she just had never seriously considered the person named "Han Shu" as someone to be taken seriously.
Han Shu reminded Ju Nian of Kazama from "Crayon Shin-chan"—obviously from a privileged background, with an inflated sense of self-importance, lively, polite, clean, and meticulous about his appearance. He possessed a broader perspective than his peers, had received an elite education, and preferred refined pursuits, viewing associating with low-class, sleazy classmates like Shin-chan as a profound shame. He now came to school upright with a backpack, and years later, he would be going to work upright with a briefcase. Ju Nian felt that such "elites" were far removed from her own world; even in "Crayon Shin-chan," she only liked Bo-chan.
Who would like Kazama-kun?
Of course, Kazama wouldn't like someone like Kikka. Kikka is a boarding student, and she attends class on time every day, liking to arrive just as the bell rings. But if you walk by the river often enough, you're bound to get wet; if she's not careful, being late is inevitable.
Other students and teachers on duty might occasionally turn a blind eye if Ju Nian showed remorse and a good attitude in admitting her mistake. But if they encountered Kazama—no, Han Shu—they'd be completely oblivious. Han Shu was more impartial than Bao Zheng, more dedicated than Lei Feng, had a nose more sensitive than a dog, and was more elusive than a shadow. What's even stranger is that he seemed to love lying in wait on the road where Ju Nian frequented. Nine times out of ten, Ju Nian was late because of him, and she couldn't leave easily without a round of criticism and sarcasm.
Ju Nian tried to figure out Han Shu's duty patterns, but the answer she got was "there are no patterns." She just couldn't understand why someone would sacrifice so much energy and enthusiasm to become a henchman of the Political Education Department without any compensation.
Forced by Han Shu to the point of having no other choice and when time was really tight, Ju Nian would take a shortcut and climb over the wall. As long as she closed her eyes and jumped down from the one-meter-high wall in the northwest corner of No. 7 Middle School, she would directly reach the grass behind the experimental building. The grass there was thick, so she was less likely to fall and hurt herself, and it also saved her from taking a big detour.
Ju Nian didn't know how Han Shu had discovered such a hidden corner. Anyway, after she had safely passed most of the semester, one day, just as she was about to jump, she suddenly saw that terrifying figure running from another corner, shouting as he ran, "Xie Ju Nian, aren't you afraid of falling to your death?"
Ju Nian was terrified, but she was even more afraid of dying at Han Shu's hands. She landed hastily and awkwardly, her hands and feet touching the ground simultaneously, managing to escape before the hounds arrived. From then on, Ju Nian automatically adjusted her alarm clock fifteen minutes earlier; she never wanted to repeat this life of escape again. Until the end of the first semester, Ju Nian wasn't late again. One day, however, Han Shu, checking school badges, surprisingly asked with concern, "Xie Ju Nian, why aren't you jumping over the wall anymore?"
Ju Nian answered honestly, "I'm afraid I'll fall and die."
She didn't understand why Han Shu looked disappointed. Until the day before the holidays, after the final exams, the entire school was engaged in a large-scale labor camp. Someone was pulling weeds under the wall in the corner of the science building when they unearthed a small, knee-deep hole, neatly covered with weeds. The students who discovered the hole speculated about its purpose—some said it was for hiding treasure, others said it was for catching mice. Only Ju Nian silently broke out in a cold sweat. When no one was looking, she carefully observed the terrain; wasn't that the spot where she had jumped over the wall?
As far as Ju Nian knew, Han Shu was very busy. After class, he attended English interest classes, Olympic math training classes, music interest camps, and badminton practice. In short, he was a diligent student who was always busy. So when exactly did he dig such a pit, what tools did he use, what was his mentality, and what was his purpose? Ju Nian couldn't figure it out, and she felt lingering fear when she woke up in the middle of the night thinking about it.
Peacock gall, crane's crest red, seven-star begonia, golden cicada poison... nothing can poison a young man's heart.
Chapter Twenty-Five: The Seven Injury Fist Injures Oneself First, Then Injures Others
Looking back on that day of labor at the end of the first semester of high school, it was truly a bittersweet experience. If someone's trap had given Ju Nian a real scare, then her later reunion with Wu Yu made both her mind and heart bloom with joy.
At first, Ju Nian's task was to take out the trash. Her classmates would sweep the weeds and debris they had cleared into a pile, and she would use a small single-wheeled cart to transport these things to the trash can, repeating the process over and over. For Ju Nian, this job was very interesting.
Ju Nian couldn't remember how many times she had returned from the garbage dump when she heard Chen Jiejie call her name from afar.
"Xie Junian, someone is looking for you."
Chen Jiejie was Ju Nian's classmate. The older boys all said that there were a lot of pretty girls in Class 3 of Grade 1, but Ju Nian only found one. She was not a person who was easily surprised, but on the day of school registration, when she met Chen Jiejie head-on, she was surprised, or rather, amazed.
Chen Jiejie possessed a face that was hard to ignore: eyes as dark as black mountains and white as clear water, a delicately curved nose, black hair and red lips, skin fairer than most southerners, and a youthful and beautiful figure—she was the epitome of a dream woman. Her hair was very long, cascading down like flowing ink; on others, it might have looked old-fashioned and tacky, but on Chen Jiejie, it was like a perfect, meticulously painted portrait, not a single detail could be added or subtracted.
Ju Nian had never spoken to Chen Jiejie before, not because the latter was arrogant. On the contrary, although Chen Jiejie came from a wealthy family, she was said to have strict upbringing and showed no signs of arrogance or conceit. She was polite and kind to teachers and classmates, appearing to be a well-mannered young lady from a respectable family. In front of a real princess, Ju Nian was like a timid rabbit playing a background role in a fairy tale.
Jie Jie, other people's names are so tender and affectionate. When you open your lips and gently utter these two words, you feel a sense of gentleness. How different from the three words "Xie Junian", which are awkward, difficult to pronounce, and incomprehensible.
So, when Chen Jiejie spoke, Ju Nian was surprised, not only because it was the first time the beautiful princess had greeted her, but also because she didn't know who would be looking for her. She stared blankly in Chen Jiejie's direction, first seeing a bald head, then a row of dazzling white teeth.
Ju Nian was still in disbelief, and then, when that person walked towards her from behind Chen Jiejie, she leaned on the small cart, and just smiled foolishly.
Vocational high schools have earlier exams and holidays than regular high schools. Wu Yu stood in front of Ju Nian, holding his racket.
"I was playing basketball with my classmates at a nearby gym and thought I'd come over to check it out. Your school is so big and beautiful." Wu Yu probably hadn't expected so many people to be looking at them while they were working, and she couldn't help but feel a little awkward.
Chen Jiejie led the person there and then tactfully walked away.
"Really? I guess she's pretty, hehe." During their time apart, Ju Nian missed Wu Yu every moment, but when he suddenly stood in front of her, she was caught off guard. So many surprises piled up that she didn't know what to say for a moment, and could only smile.
"You look fine too. That's good." Wu Yu strummed the strings on her racket and said with a smile, "Alright, I should go back now. You can continue with your work."
"You went back? Oh... okay." Ju Nian felt a surge of disappointment, but she didn't know what else to say, so she could only nod.
Wu Yu waved to her and turned to leave. Ju Nian stared blankly at his retreating figure, still holding the small garbage cart in her hand. She thought to herself that she must have looked completely dazed just now.
"Xie Junian, there are a lot of leaves here that need to be moved!" Her classmates urged her.
Ju Nian seemed to snap out of a daze and hurried over. Chen Jiejie was also there, sweeping the fallen leaves into a pile and dumping them into the cart. The leaves weren't heavy, but they took up space, and the small cart was easily full. Ju Nian then pushed the cart towards the garbage dump, and Chen Jiejie put down her broom and offered to help her hold the cart.
"Thank you, but no need, I can manage on my own," Ju Nian said apologetically.
Chen Jiejie gave Ju Nian a friendly smile, "It's okay, pushing the cart is quite fun... Xie Ju Nian, was that person your former classmate?"
Ju Nian glanced at Chen Jiejie and replied softly, "Oh, that's...that's my friend."
She felt that the word "classmate" sounded distant and inaccurate in relation to her relationship with Wu Yu. However, when she said the word "friend," her face suddenly flushed. For girls their age, "friend" was still a sensitive word, especially when the other person was a boy of the same age. Ju Nian didn't know what Chen Jiejie would think. Oh well, they weren't close anyway, and she couldn't care less.
Chen Jiejie showed no surprise, but rather a hint of envy. "Is that so? That's great. Come to think of it, I feel like I've seen him somewhere before."
"It shouldn't be... Why is the garbage dump so far away?"
"We talked as we walked, and it didn't feel far at all. Xie Junian, did your friend come all the way to see you? Why did he leave after only a few words?"
Ju Nian's frustration was awakened by Chen Jiejie's unintentional words. She should have had so much to say to Wu Yu, but why did she only remember to smile foolishly at the time?
"He's holding a racket, he must be really good at it. I've been learning recently, can we play together sometime?" Chen Jiejie continued, oblivious to the change in the emotions of the person next to her.
Suddenly, Ju Nian stopped moving.
"I was just saying, don't mind me..."
Before Chen Jiejie could finish speaking, Ju Nian suddenly handed the handlebar of the small cart to her.
"Excuse me, I have something urgent to attend to. Could you please push it for me?" Ju Nian was already a few steps away when she spoke. After thinking for a moment, she turned around and hurriedly bent down to Chen Jiejie to apologize. "I'm really sorry, I'll be right back."
We can't let Wu Yu leave like this. Ju Nian, frantic with worry, chased after him in the direction Wu Yu had gone. He'd been gone for quite a while; could he have already left the school gate?
After running out of the lawn of the experimental building, there were students cleaning everywhere in the corridors and along the playground. Many boys were working and laughing and playing at the same time. Ju Nian seemed to see a familiar figure at the end of the school road ahead, but with so many people between them, she couldn't run fast no matter what.
More than a semester had passed, and she had only seen Wu Yu once. She had to go to school during the week, and there were endless chores at home on weekends. When would she see Wu Yu again? Why was she so useless, like a broken piggy bank, saving up day by day until it was full, but when it really mattered, she couldn't get anything out. The chores were also a school assignment, so she couldn't go too far. As Wu Yu's figure grew smaller and smaller, Ju Nian's eyes reddened.
Just as they were about to cross the playground, "bang!" An unidentified flying object, seemingly out of nowhere, struck Ju Nian on the head. After the dull impact subsided, a burning pain exploded like a bomb. Behind them, shouts and screams rose and fell, boys whistling, yelling, and giggling... it was all in chaos.
Caught off guard by the blow, Ju Nian clutched her wound and turned around blankly. At her feet, there was a long-handled broom.
"Oh no, this is terrible, someone has actually been infected."
"Who did this? Was it you? Haha..."
"Who is that? Who did you hit?"
"I told you not to push me."
"Stop laughing, that girl looks like she's crying, like she's really gotten into trouble."
"Han Shu, that broom looks like yours."
"You should apologize, or you'll be in big trouble when the teacher comes."
Through her blurry, tear-filled eyes, Ju Nian saw someone walk up to her and say, "How could you be so unlucky? Is it really that bad?"
Actually, Ju Nian didn't want to cry; perhaps the tears were just an instinctive reaction to the pain. She was just anxious about how far Wu Yu had gone.
"Don't scare me. I'll go to the infirmary with you if necessary."
Ju Nian shook her head. She took a few more steps forward and felt someone grab her arm.
"What are you doing? Come on, let's go to the infirmary."
In her haste, she shook off that hand.
"I'm sorry, okay?" the owner of the hand said.
"Please, can you stop blocking my way?"
Ju Nian wiped away her tears and continued chasing after him, praying in her heart, "Wu Yu, slow down and wait for me."
Clutching her burning head, she chased after him, the trees and people around her blurry. She ran all the way to the school gate, but it was too late; her little monk was nowhere to be seen.
Ju Nian let out a sob, tears streaming down her face from the pain of her head injury.
Everyone says that concussions can cause hallucinations, and it was true. She silently shed tears as the figure that had disappeared into the distance gradually enlarged and returned to her side.
"Ju, Ju Nian... Why are you crying?" The hallucination even had a voiceover, and it was that familiar, wooden, tense voice.
"Why are you back again?" Ju Nian asked, bewildered.
"I just remembered there's something else I wanted to give you... The question is, why are you crying?"
Her little monk took a leaf out of his pocket. The leaf was thick and covered with a layer of fine fuzz. He recognized it as a loquat leaf.