Professor Liu and His Plane Trees
The sycamore trees on campus have lost many leaves, with only a few remaining, their yellowish hue suggesting they won't survive the winter, much like an old man who, in the same season, is saddened and unwilling to speak.
Elderly people are often prone to passing away in winter.
The car carried two lively girls, whose moods were not affected by the winter chill. Zhu Juntang, having read few books, was not prone to being moved by the scenery, while Bai Hui, of course, had a different kind of feeling, closer to that of spring.
She still wants to be in a relationship.
"Did you know that Xiangtan University didn't have so many plane trees before?" Zhu Juntang looked at the plane trees scattered throughout the campus.
These sycamore trees are scattered here and there, with no standard distance between them, as if someone had casually scattered seeds, which took root, sprouted, and grew in the spring of the following year, and after many years, they have become what they are now.
Some of them are close together, some are diagonally intertwined, some stand on different hillsides, and some face each other across the road.
"Oh," Bai Hui replied absentmindedly.
Zhu Juntang chuckled softly, a slight smile playing on her lips. She took the thermos from Bai Hui's hand, then her phone, and snapped a picture of herself. After all, the pattern on the thermos was quite cute, complementing her adorable charm.
She knew Bai Hui wasn't interested in sycamore trees, but Zhu Juntang knew how to pique Bai Hui interest. "These sycamore trees were planted by a professor surnamed Liu from Xiangtan University."
"Surname Liu?" Zhu Juntang wouldn't be interested in the sycamore trees here for no reason, especially not someone surnamed Liu... Bai Hui turned her head and asked curiously, "I also know a professor surnamed Liu."
Zhu Juntang was certain that Bai Hui did not realize at this moment that this professor surnamed Liu was related to Liu Chang'an. She only heard the word "Liu" and her emotions began to change.
In the romance of young boys and girls, there are always times when they think about everything related to that person, and their feelings change.
It could be a building, a pen, a landscape, a melon seed, a piece of land, or a serving of crayfish.
All sorts of random things, as long as he or she can connect to these things, looking at them, listening to them, and thinking about them, will make him feel light, distant, calm, or wistful, and his emotions will drift around.
"Who is Professor Liu, as you know him?" Zhu Juntang didn't continue telling the story she knew, but instead asked a question.
Bai Hui's face showed a hint of tenderness and sweetness as if she had remembered something, but she quickly said calmly, "In high school, Liu Chang'an and I were deskmates. We both received a prize for an act of bravery. The prize money was provided by a scholarship fund established by a professor from Xiangtan University, whose surname was also Liu."
Zhu Juntang nodded. As a fairy, she could only "Mie Mie" in front of Liu Chang'an, but when facing a girl like Bai Hui, she could still control the pace of the conversation and had the composure that a rich heiress should have.
To appear more composed, Zhu Juntang nodded again, this time mimicking Liu Chang'an's gesture. She had always felt that Liu Chang'an's nodding was quite unique, displaying the demeanor of a great figure like Sect Master.
"Why are you nodding like Liu Chang'an?" Bai Hui retorted playfully. "It's so annoying! Every time I see him nodding at me like that, I feel like I'm holding something back: Just say what you have to say! You're like a stubborn old man!"
"I also want to curse him as an old man, but I'm afraid he'll hit me and won't let me play with him anymore." Zhu Juntang was a little depressed.
"Actually, I don't dare to curse him, I just think it in my heart." Bai Hui was also a little annoyed, but then she laughed after saying that. Every time he nodded like that, Bai Hui couldn't help but provoke him or hit him when she continued to speak.
"Actually, the Professor Liu I'm talking about and the Professor Liu you're talking about are the same person." Zhu Juntang couldn't tell Bai Hui that these two Professor Liu also had a current identity. She knew that she and Bai Hui had some things in common, some hobbies, some interests, some childish behaviors and cute styles... But her upbringing, knowledge, and mentality were ultimately very different from ordinary girls.
People are multifaceted. Zhu Juntang is Mie Mie rascal in front of Liu Chang'an, a fairy and kindred spirit in front of Bai Hui, and a best friend she can be unrestrained with in front of Qin Yanan... In front of others, she is an unapproachable heiress from a wealthy family.
"This person is also Liu Chang'an's father. Cough... His father's Liu Jianshe, the Professor Liu who planted the phoenix tree, and also the Professor Liu gave you scholarships." Zhu Juntang looked at Bai Hui's expression, and Bai Hui's face indeed showed that look of "I'm so interested," "I want to know more," and "Go on."
Bai Hui pursed her lips, then concealed this expression in her eyes with a sense of restraint. But in Zhu Juntang's eyes, it appeared as if she had many questions but didn't know where to begin.
"Professor Liu has planted sycamore trees everywhere at the foot of Mount Lu. Starting from our school gate, all the way across Peach Lake, the entire Normal University campus, and the Institute of Technology over there, there are sycamore trees he planted everywhere." Zhu Juntang had to admit that this old man had plenty of time and energy, so he could always do things that were difficult for ordinary people to achieve, but which seemed romantic when he thought about them.
"No wonder Liu Chang'an is the kind of person who is willing to spend time doing things slowly and meticulously," Bai Hui said with a sudden realization. Ultimately, her interest in Professor Liu from his relationship with Liu Chang'an.
"You've been to Liu Chang'an's house, haven't you? Didn't you notice there's a sycamore tree in front of his house?" Zhu Juntang hadn't actually paid much attention to the sycamore tree at first.
"Yes, Liu Chang'an would sit under the sycamore tree whenever he had free time, and there was a child who often stayed under that tree with him." Bai Hui remembered it vividly; the child and Liu Chang'an were very close.
"That child has a very powerful background," Zhu Juntang said seriously, but she wouldn't explain just how powerful. After all, Zhou Dongdong was the Saintess of the sect, while she herself was merely a Sheep Protector under the Saintess Maiden. She couldn't let outsiders laugh at such a thing.
"What's their background?" Bai Hui asked dismissively.
"That's not important." Zhu Juntang changed the subject again, "You said the paulownia tree, does it have any special significance for that Professor Liu, for Liu Chang'an?"
"Maybe they think sycamore trees are easy to grow?" Bai Hui hadn't considered this question, and she didn't know Zhu Juntang's thought process. What special meaning could this possibly have?
Zhu Juntang used to always use binoculars and Zeiss 1700mm lens to observe Liu Chang'an. Sometimes he wouldn't see Liu Chang'an, but he would always notice the sycamore tree, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
Whenever Liu Chang'an is at home, whenever he comes out to rest as if he's AFK, he's always under that sycamore tree.
I read books, drank tea, took a nap, and played with Zhou Dongdong all under that sycamore tree.
Originally, I thought it might just be because the tree grew in front of his house and had no special significance. But Zhu Juntang accidentally saw a magazine of anecdotes about Xiangtan University collected by Su Nanxiu, which included the origin of the Volkswagen... Who else but a terrible old man Professor Liu planted the sycamore trees could be so idle? Maybe there are others who are just as idle, but it's unlikely that they would also have the surname Liu.
"I suspect this is a kind of commemoration. Don't scholars have a tradition of planting a tree for every wife who dies?" Zhu Juntang said with certainty.
"That's not tradition! That's just a line from Gui Youguang: 'There is a loquat tree in the courtyard, planted by my wife in the year she died; now it stands tall and spreading like a canopy.'" Bai Hui had only recently graduated from high school and hadn't yet forgotten what she'd learned at the Affiliated High School. She corrected Zhu Juntang, having grown accustomed to Zhu Juntang's nonsensical allusions, idioms, and "unique insights" into traditional culture.
"I see." Zhu Juntang nodded nonchalantly, then continued, "This tradition must mean that a very important woman has yet to appear. This woman holds extraordinary significance for Professor Liu Jianshe, and for Grandpa... no, for Liu Chang'an."
"What kind of reasoning is this?" Bai Hui found it baffling, and besides, this wasn't traditional! Zhu Juntang didn't listen at all.
That's right. If someone could listen to what others say instead of being immersed in their own wild imagination, then they wouldn't be Zhu Juntang.
"Often, if you're at a loss about something, try letting your mind wander; you might just get closer to the truth." Zhu Juntang certainly has her own way of thinking and habits.
"Oh." Bai Hui nodded. So that's how it is. This is the essential reason why Miss Zhu is different from others.
"We're here... Hurry up, I'm in a rush to get back to class. I'm sitting with Liu Chang'an in the next class, and I need to probe about the Wutong Tree." Zhu Juntang just wanted to talk to someone; Bai Hui, a little fairy, certainly wasn't as witty as Zhu Juntang, a fairy among fairies.
Bai Hui immediately sent a message to An Nuan was.
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In this late hour, it's quite fitting to recommend Chen Fengxiao's "Big Data Cultivation," a super long book, the newest work from the author of "Official Immortal." Gou Shanhai comes to Zhou Shuling's place for noodles but doesn't want to pay. Zhou Shuling even mentions that Director Chen from the neighborhood office always pays for noodles. Director Chen, Director Chen Taizhong, I miss him. Alas, there will never be another Chen Taizhong.