Past Events

Zhang Shuai felt a bit amused. This scene inexplicably reminded him of his first love—or perhaps it couldn't be called a first love, just a crush, a one-sided infatuation that never amounted to a relationship.

She was a girl from his hometown, Malong Village, and she had a lovely name: Ye Manqiu.

Ye Manqiu was a year younger than Zhang Shuai. After graduating from high school, she stopped her studies and began specialized farming in the village, raising crayfish and crabs.

Because Zhang Shuai's family home was right by the lake, very close to Ye Manqiu's farming base, she often stored tools and feed at his house, coming over to retrieve them whenever she needed them. Through this back-and-forth, she and Zhang Shuai grew close. At the time, Zhang Shuai was in the depths of a severe depression; he wouldn't speak to anyone, but Ye Manqiu was the only one who patiently guided him, often taking him to the lakeside to hang out.

After two years of her guidance, Zhang Shuai's depression was completely cured.

However, Zhang Shuai's grandfather disliked Ye Manqiu intensely. He claimed she was using Zhang Shuai like a fool. Back then, the villagers didn't care to interact with Zhang Shuai, and the only reason Ye Manqiu sought him out was that she wanted free labor—nothing more.

In truth, Zhang Shuai knew deep down that this was likely her exact intention. Although he was overweight at the time, he was strong, and for those two years, he had performed much of the heavy lifting for her.

Over those two years, Ye Manqiu earned over two hundred thousand yuan from her crayfish and crab farming, yet she never paid Zhang Shuai a single cent in wages. The only exception was that year during the Spring Festival; because she had made money and was in high spirits, she casually bought Zhang Shuai a set of clothes.

The quality of the clothes was poor and they shrank severely. Before long, the seams burst and the threads unraveled, making them unwearable. Later, Zhang Shuai checked on Pinxixi and found that the outfit was worth thirty-three yuan.

Aside from those clothes, Ye Manqiu never gave him anything else.

And Zhang Shuai never asked her for anything, because at the time, he had fallen hopelessly in love with her.

What young man doesn't go through puberty? Although Ye Manqiu was average in appearance and her skin was somewhat tanned from long hours in the sun, she was the only girl Zhang Shuai had any contact with at the time. As the saying goes, affection grows with time.

Even though many in the village treated Zhang Shuai like an idiot, he wasn't truly stupid. He saw things more clearly than anyone else; he was simply in a depressive state at the time and, while he understood, he chose not to speak.

Then one day, Ye Manqiu showed Zhang Shuai a photo of a man on her phone, claiming he was her fiancé and that they had already set a wedding date. She even asked Zhang Shuai if her fiancé looked handsome.

Zhang Shuai was stunned. After a long moment, he gathered his courage and solemnly confessed his feelings to her, saying he liked her very much and begging her not to marry that man. He told her he was willing to marry her and work alongside her raising crayfish and crabs.

But Ye Manqiu took his words as a joke and giggled. She said something then that Zhang Shuai would remember for the rest of his life: "You fool, if I married you, I'd never be able to hold my head up in this village again."

In life, the words of those you care about can often inadvertently pierce your heart.

Ye Manqiu's words cut deep into Zhang Shuai's heart.

The next day, Ye Manqiu came to his house as usual to call him to work at the lake, but Zhang Shuai shook his head and refused.

This was the first time in two years he had defied her. Before this, whenever she called for help, Zhang Shuai would always follow behind her with a beaming smile.

Ye Manqiu was stunned, asking him with a confused expression why he wasn't going.

Zhang Shuai retorted, "Why should I go? Are you paying me a salary or what? Don't leave your tools or feed at my house anymore, either. I don't want you coming over all the time and causing the villagers to gossip, thinking there's something between us. Besides, you shouldn't let your fiancé misunderstand. Don't come to my house anymore!"

Perhaps it was only at that moment that Ye Manqiu realized the "Fatty Zhang" she thought was a fool wasn't actually foolish at all.

Later, Ye Manqiu took all her belongings from his house. From that moment on, Zhang Shuai made up his mind to pull himself together. He didn't want to live his life as a joke in the eyes of others, nor did he want to be seen as a fool!

As for this unrequited love, it taught Zhang Shuai a profound lesson: one cannot give blindly when dealing with others, because they will take your kindness for granted. Such is human nature!

"Handsome, it's my turn to practice. You go sit in the passenger seat and guide me!"

During Sun Xiaoya's first attempt at parallel parking, Zhang Shuai sat in the passenger seat watching her clumsy movements. He was nearly driven mad with anxiety—how could someone this dim-witted have gotten into college?

With no other choice, he had to call out instructions and reminders from time to time. Sun Xiaoya scrambled to park the car within the yellow lines, though it was a sloppy job, stopping just inches from mounting the side line.

By the second attempt, her performance improved slightly.

When it was Zhang Shuai's turn to practice, Sun Xiaoya took the initiative to sit in the passenger seat. Watching him move with more fluidity and natural grace than the instructor, she exclaimed with genuine admiration, "Handsome, you're amazing! The instructor only taught you once and you've already got it. I used to think I was quite smart, but compared to you, I feel like an absolute idiot."

Zhang Shuai laughed. "Learning to drive is different from studying. Driving is mainly about the coordination of your hands, feet, and body, while studying requires intelligence. You can't lump them together."

However, after a few rounds of practice, everyone was basically able to complete the task. While their movements might not have been smooth and their positioning not perfectly standard, they were good enough to pass; as long as they didn't cross the lines, they would pass the exam.

Starting the next day, Coach Wu began teaching them how to reverse into a parking space. Zhang Shuai mastered it on the first try, and this astonishing learning ability left Coach Wu full of praise.

It was a pity that they had to wait for the scheduled time to book the exam; otherwise, Zhang Shuai would only have needed half an hour of practice before taking the Subject Two test.

Over the next few days, Zhang Shuai came to the driving school every day. Without realizing it, he grew close to Sun Xiaoya and Lin Xiuwen.

Sun Xiaoya had an extroverted personality and talked quite a bit, while Lin Xiuwen was the exact opposite—quiet and reserved.

Zhang Shuai wasn't stupid; he could feel that Sun Xiaoya had a crush on him, but he really didn't feel anything for her. On the contrary, he was quite taken with Lin Xiuwen.

It could be said that both Lin Xiuwen's appearance and personality were exactly to Zhang Shuai's taste.

However, Zhang Shuai didn't dare to show it. Ever since his confession to Ye Manqiu had been treated as a joke, he understood one truth: a person must have self-awareness. If you know someone couldn't possibly like you and you insist on confessing anyway, you are only asking for humiliation.

The day before the Subject Two exam, Sun Xiaoya suggested that the three of them go out for a meal together.

Originally, Zhang Shuai didn't want to attend any gatherings; after all, he only needed to recharge now, and eating out was just a waste of time and food.

But then, just because Lin Xiuwen casually said, "Brother Zhang, let's go together. I'd like to have a drink," Zhang Shuai agreed without a moment's hesitation.