People Too Proud to Lose Face Don't Even Get Candy

Chen Shi'an finally understood why Wen Zhixia ate so slowly. With her chattering away as she ate, how could she possibly be quick?

Rules like no talking at meals or in bed didn't exist for Chen Shi'an. When he ate with his master, Fat Ink, they always chatted over their food.

Chen Shi'an didn't eat faster at the beginning just because he was hungry. He maintained an even pace throughout his meal. Even with ordinary food and plain clothes, there was always something elegant about him.

In the end, Wen Zhixia actually finished first. About two minutes after she was done, Chen Shi'an finished his meal at the same steady pace.

Wen Zhixia was very pleased with this. She always felt bad making others wait for her, but didn't mind waiting for them herself. Chen Shi'an really was the perfect meal buddy!

"Are you done?"

"Yes, all done."

"Here's a tissue."

The girl took a packet of tissues out of her trouser pocket. These small packets contained much larger, thicker tissues than the usual boxed ones. She pulled one out, tore it in half, and handed half to Chen Shi'an.

At school, tissues really were the ultimate hard currency. Leave ten yuan on someone's desk and nobody might touch it, but leave a packet of tissues there and it would definitely be emptied within a day.

Sharing half a tissue like Wen Zhixia did was a privilege students reserved for good friends!

Chen Shi'an had been about to say he had a handkerchief, but when he saw her little hand already held out in front of him with the tissue, he smiled and accepted it.

"Anyway, just start learning English the way I taught you. My English wasn't very good in middle school either. My grades only improved gradually after that."

"Yes, your methods sound pretty useful. I'll give them a try."

Over lunch, Wen Zhixia had shared plenty of English-study tips with him. Most were really tricks for memorization, such as how to memorize vocabulary faster and remember passages more securely.

As the saying went, when resources were scarce, you relied on tactics; when they were plentiful, you blanketed the target with firepower.

Having had a photographic memory since childhood, Chen Shi'an found it hard to relate to ordinary students' struggles with memorization...

Still, he listened very attentively. At least if anyone asked him how to memorize things more efficiently in the future, he could pass along Wen Zhixia's methods instead of saying, "Can't you just read it a couple more times and remember it?"

"Let's go, then."

"Do we have to wash these trays ourselves?"

"No, just put them in the return area. Follow me."

Wen Zhixia stood up with her tray, and Chen Shi'an picked up his and followed.

The tray return was by the cafeteria's back door. They tipped their leftovers into the food-waste bucket, stacked their trays neatly, and walked along the campus path together.

"Are you heading back to the classroom for your lunch break too?" Chen Shi'an asked.

"Yep. Day students can only rest in the classroom. It's almost twelve forty now, and class starts at one thirty. There wouldn't be time for a nap if I went home. How many day students are in your class?"

"I think it's just me. What about yours?"

"Just me too!"

"Is that because everyone lives far away?"

"Not entirely. Some students might not have anyone cooking at home, or find it easier to study at school, so they board. Boarding is the default here. You have to apply separately to be a day student."

"Then won't you be all alone in the classroom during the lunch break?"

"No way!"

Wen Zhixia counted on her fingers. "There are at least seven or eight people who usually stay in our classroom at lunchtime. They're all boarding students who study there instead of napping. I don't know about your class, but there are definitely a few."

"They study outside class too?" Chen Shi'an was surprised. At least, no teacher had mentioned any such rule, which meant they were doing it voluntarily.

"Of course. Our school is really competitive. You saw the Honor Roll, didn't you? You can't even get into the top hundred without six hundred points. Studying in class alone definitely isn't enough. Lots of students even have private tutors outside school."

Only after hearing this did Chen Shi'an gain a new understanding of how fiercely competitive high school students were. He had already thought the school's class hours were long enough, yet apparently even that wasn't enough.

"You need a balance between work and rest. Too much is as bad as too little," Chen Shi'an remarked.

"Well, you've got a pretty healthy attitude. Anyway, teachers and parents all say you have to study hard. If you don't study, you'll get bad exam results. If your results are bad, you won't get into a good university. If you don't get into a good university, you won't find a good job. Without a good job, you won't make money, and without money, your life is over."

After a pause, Wen Zhixia turned to Chen Shi'an and added, "But you really are different from us."

"How so?"

"Because you've done it the other way around. You already have a job. You're a Taoist, and whether you do well at school or not, you'll still be a Taoist."

"Jealous of me again?" Chen Shi'an looked at her with amusement.

The girl took a deep breath as though she was about to shout. In the end, she merely clenched her little fists and said playfully, "So~ in~ credibly~ jealous!"

Chen Shi'an burst out laughing at her antics.

As they chatted, they reached the classroom building. There was a campus shop not far away. Wen Zhixia thought for a moment, then said:

"Why don't you head upstairs first? I'm going to buy a box of pen refills. I've just run out."

"Where do you buy them?"

"Over there-the little shop. You can pay with your meal card."

"Let's go together."

"What are you buying?"

"I haven't been inside before. I'll have a look around."

"You've got too much time on your hands!"

Company was always better, so Wen Zhixia took him to the campus shop.

Its layout was no different from shops outside school. It wasn't large, just a small convenience store, mainly selling snacks, bread, stationery, drinks, fruit, and the like. In the mornings, it also sold tea eggs and steamed dumplings. The prices were about the same as outside, and the owner was from Principal Lin's hometown...

Chen Shi'an found it all rather novel. He had always thought of school as simply a place to attend lessons. He hadn't expected modern campuses to provide every facility they could to help students study better. With a shop, an infirmary, a counseling room, a gymnasium, and so on, it really was like a little world of its own within the big city.

Whether that little world was an idyllic haven or purgatory probably depended on what stage a student was at. Chen Shi'an had now learned to look at things as they changed. At least from his current perspective

, he thought it was quite nice.

Wen Zhixia picked out a box of pen refills. Pens were what she used up most in her daily studies. In the spirit of saving money, she only replaced the refill unless the pen barrel broke.

The girl had a habit of spinning her pen. It was rare to find a barrel that spun so smoothly and had been worn so perfectly smooth, so she wouldn't replace it lightly.

Chen Shi'an had nothing in particular to buy. When he spotted lollipops at the checkout, he thought for a moment and bought a few. They were fifty cents each, with different-colored wrappers indicating different fruit flavors.

"You like lollipops!" Wen Zhixia asked after they came out together.

"I haven't had one in ages. Thought I'd try them."

Chen Shi'an had first eaten a lollipop when he was three. He had accompanied his master to perform a ritual at someone's home, and a young woman there had given him one.

He still remembered her saying how adorable he was. He was so tiny, yet in his Taoist robe he looked like a little grown-up.

That lollipop had been apple-flavored. After he finished the candy, the white plastic stick was also a little whistle he could blow...

Back then, he had been very curious. Why did it feel different to eat when it was clearly the same as ordinary candy, just with a stick added?

He asked his master, who said, "My good disciple, do you have any more? Give your master one to try. I've never had one."

"There were loads at their house just now. Why didn't you have one?"

"At my age, people would laugh if they saw me eating one."

And so, at three years old, Chen Shi'an learned a lesson: people too proud to lose face didn't even get candy.

Candy tasted better when you shared it.

Chen Shi'an picked out two and handed them to Wen Zhixia beside him.

"Here, my buddy fee. Have some candy."

"You're a quick learner!"

Wasn't that buddy fee exactly what she'd mentioned when she brought him soy milk that morning?

"Go on, take them."

"No, thanks. I'm trying to lose weight. No candy for me."

"If we get fat, we'll get fat together."

"..."

Nothing could shake someone's resolve to lose weight more than that reason.

Wen Zhixia finally accepted the two lollipops from his hand and unwrapped one just as he did.

Hers was a pink, strawberry-flavored candy ball, while Chen Shi'an's was a pale green, apple-flavored one.

Holding the sticks, they popped the candy into their mouths together.

The candy rolled around in their mouths, while the sticks bobbed at their lips.

The two buddies exchanged a glance, their smiles sweet.

"How is it?"

"Hehe, delicious!"