Chapter 25

Chapter 26

"You look awfully familiar, young lady. May I ask your lovely name? And where might you live?"

At the entrance to the classroom building, I looked at the duo of Xu Jiajia and Zhang Xin with utterly insincere earnestness and asked with a grin.

Over the past few years, my clowning around had become firmly established in everyone's minds, and both girls were long used to it. Zhang Xin was just about to speak when Xu Jiajia beat her to it. "Surname Ni, given name Xiaoyi."

Faced with that ancient joke about being my aunt, I could only scratch my head. "That's not right. My aunt seems to have gone away again... Do you speak Russian?"

Xu Jiajia rolled her eyes at me. "We don't. Do you?"

"I only know one phrase, 'khorosho,'" I improvised. "It means great. These two young ladies before me, for instance, are classic examples of 'khorosho.'"

With someone complimenting them, there was nothing to get angry about, so the two could only silently endure my teasing. After a full minute of blank silence, the thicker-skinned Xu Jiajia blushed and called me a "shameless smart-mouth." Zhang Xin said nothing, her head lowered as she thought about who knew what.

I really didn't know what she was thinking. We were classmates for years, and right up until I left Beiguan City, I never knew what she was thinking.

Remembering the past, I couldn't help sighing.

Sharp-eyed and quick-tongued, Xu Jiajia asked, "Zhou Xingwen, what are you sighing about?"

I gazed down the corridor with affected melancholy. "I was thinking... we're late now, aren't we?"

Realization dawned on them, and the three of us rushed into the classroom, laughing.

What I hadn't expected at all was that we had a new homeroom teacher this term.

Normally, homeroom teachers changed by the term, with the handover taking place at the start of the new school year in September. This was the first time I'd heard of one being replaced after half a term.

Our new homeroom teacher's surname was Li, an old woman in her fifties. I seemed to remember someone like her at Xinhua Primary School, though she hadn't taught me back then. From what students in other classes said, she loved making sarcastic remarks about students. If a student turned around to talk, for example, she would describe them as "turning back with a smile that unleashed a hundred charms." That was one of her more refined remarks; more often, her mockery was rather direct. Since she taught graduating classes a lot, stories about her circulated widely both in and outside school, and I'd heard the general gist.

Teacher Li explained where our previous homeroom teacher had gone. Apparently, Teacher Jiang had taken leave of her senses and stepped into marriage, the grave of love. I figured Teacher Jiang must have had countless suitors, and in a workplace where male teachers generally struggled to settle their own marital affairs, she had been pursued a little too urgently and devised this desperate gamble for survival. Whenever I saw several male PE and art teachers openly courting Jiang Wanrong in front of the students, I could only sigh inwardly at how comprehensive and hands-on modern education was.

The first thing our newly appointed homeroom teacher did was actually ask who had ranked first in the year last term. I stood up slowly, and she glanced at me. "I hear your grades are good. Work hard to keep them up."

I nodded meekly. "Yes, yes, yes..."

Below, Xu Jiajia snorted through her nose. "Acting all well-behaved."

I sat down and whispered, "But I really am well-behaved..." My expression and manner perfectly copied that cutesy Hong Kong affectation, making Xu Jiajia laugh. Afraid our classmates would see, she lay over her desk with her shoulders shaking nonstop.

Li Ping gave us a stern glare, then glanced at the roll book. "Xu Jiajia, what's wrong with you?"

I looked utterly innocent. "I don't know. I think Xu Jiajia has a stomachache."

Xu Jiajia was right at the age when girls first got "that." At my words, even the half of her face visible as she lay there turned red. Li Ping watched us for a while before saying displeasedly, "No talking during class."

I obediently murmured assent. Seeing the teacher turn her attention to several students with poorer grades, I lowered my head and asked Xu Jiajia, "Are you okay?"

Xu Jiajia struggled for ages before sitting up, still flushed and breathless. "It's all your fault!"

I made a shushing gesture and quietly pointed toward the podium, where the teacher was spraying spit as she spoke. "Keep it down... don't get caught up in her show of authority..."

Xu Jiajia nodded, her complexion slowly returning to normal.

Zhang Xin watched us from the side, smiling without a word.

After listening to four lessons that might not even have been as good as ones I could give, I left school at noon and saw Guo Zhen waiting anxiously at the gate.

A little surprised, I asked, "Hey, what happened? Someone boil you alive?"

Xu Jiajia and Zhang Xin, who had come out with me, looked Guo Zhen over curiously. With his thick eyebrows, large eyes, and handsome appearance, Guo Zhen was the sort of boy girls were willing to look at a little longer.

"Zhou Xingwen, is he your friend? Haven't we met him before?"

They were more familiar with Yang Yuanzhe and Ge Jinqiu, who often came to see me, but barely remembered Guo Zhen, who had stopped me on the street that year and then suffered a crushing defeat at my hands in the pool hall. That was understandable; children's memories weren't very good. I had to introduce Guo Zhen to them again.

Once I finished, Guo Zhen gave the girls a slightly awkward glance. I understood immediately and said to them, "We have something to deal with. Why don't you go ahead?"

Xu Jiajia was just about to say something when Zhang Xin tugged her hand. "Jiajia, let's go home first. I think Brother Guo might have something urgent."

Since her friend had already said that, Xu Jiajia had no choice but to leave with Zhang Xin.

Being called "Brother Guo" pleased Guo Zhen immensely, and he jabbed me hard. "You little rascal. Good taste, and two at once."

I smiled wryly. "Cut the crap. Get to the point. What happened?"

At the mention of business, Guo Zhen's expression changed at once. After hesitating, he asked, "Do you have any money on hand?"

I nodded. "A little. How much do you need?"

Guo Zhen looked hesitant, unsure how to say it. I patted his shoulder. "We're brothers, so don't stand on ceremony. How much altogether?"

"...Fifty thousand. Just lend me whatever you can. I'll ask around some more."

I smiled. "When do you need it?"

"Before two tomorrow afternoon."

I shrugged. "Don't bother asking anyone else. Come make a phone call with me in a bit."

Guo Zhen looked delighted. "You...?"

"My sister should have that much," I told Guo Zhen. "We're brothers, so I won't lie to you. But I don't want any trouble, either. Just tell people you scraped it together from different places."

Guo Zhen was no fool and immediately nodded.

I called Zhang Xiaotong. "Sis, I'm out right now. A friend needs some money. Withdraw fifty thousand for me. I'll wait for you at the Black Swan Hotel."

Zhang Xiaotong was certainly efficient. An hour later, she found us in a little restaurant beside the school and handed me a brown paper envelope. "Sixty thousand."

I made room for her to sit. "You truly are a great philanthropist. Let me treat you to a meal sometime to thank you."

"I haven't eaten today yet." After sitting down, Zhang Xiaotong asked for a bowl and chopsticks. "The people at the bank looked at me like I was a thief. It was pretty uncomfortable."

Guo Zhen shot to his feet and gave Zhang Xiaotong a deep bow. "Thank you, Sister Xiaotong."

Zhang Xiaotong smiled. "Why be so formal? Aren't Xingwen's friends my friends too? Don't stand there. Sit down and eat. I'm starving..."

We talked as we ate, and Zhang Xiaotong asked Guo Zhen, "You'll be in your third year of junior high after this term, right?"

Guo Zhen murmured assent. "Third year."

"Where are you planning to apply?"

"I'm not planning to keep going along the academic track." Guo Zhen looked down at the envelope and carefully tucked it away. "I want to attend a vocational college or something and learn some technical skills."

Hearing that, I was pleased. Had he found something that interested him in those earlier night classes?

"What do you want to study?"

"Machine repair," Guo Zhen said. "I saw a computer before and thought it was pretty interesting. I'd like to learn about computers too."

I glanced at Zhang Xiaotong and asked, "When did you first come across a computer?"

"1989, I think," Guo Zhen recalled. "Black-and-white. Third Brother took it off someone else's boat. I didn't know much then, and a few days later, Third Brother gave it away. Only after reading more books later did I understand how to use it."

I asked Guo Zhen, "What month is your birthday?"

"May. Why?"

Zhang Xiaotong and I exchanged smiles. "I don't think I've ever given you a birthday present. Let me give you something this year. Pick one."

Guo Zhen was confused. "Pick one?"

"Cui Jian is holding a concert at the Weifang Kite Festival in April [note 1]. I can get VIP tickets, and I'll cover your round-trip fare. Or I can give you a computer." Knowing Guo Zhen liked Cui Jian, I deliberately gave him a difficult choice.

"Of course I'd choose the computer," Guo Zhen said awkwardly. "But you really shouldn't. Look, I've already taken so much money from you..."

"That's a loan. You'll have to pay me back sooner or later," I said. "The computer is for you to put your intelligence and talents to use. If you become capable enough someday, you can repay me for that too. My sister calls it a return on investment. Look at those reports from around the world, about child prodigies composing music and writing songs at such young ages. Give every child in China a piano, and see whether Beethoven would still be worth as much as before!"

This was a view I had always held, and when it suddenly came to mind, I said it aloud. Zhang Xiaotong and Guo Zhen were both clearly stunned. It had never occurred to them that anyone, given access to education and an environment where they could pursue their interests, had the potential to become a top talent.

Give every child in China a piano, and what would Beethoven amount to? What would Mozart amount to?

It was merely a matter of lacking the means.

That was why, throughout history, most accomplished people were still those strong enough to create their own opportunities.

After reloading my life, I had thought about many things and decided that my ultimate goal was to create more strong people and more opportunities. To create opportunities and an environment for the children of the smartest people in the world.

Starting with myself, starting with those around me.

Guo Zhen had clearly never considered that angle. Thinking it over carefully left him so excited that even his chopstick hand became unsteady. "Yeah... so many people, all going to waste..."

He lived on the outskirts and often spent time with rural children, so he felt this deeply.

I nodded. "What's being wasted is their own lives. A person only gets one life, and nobody wants theirs wasted. Even those supposedly cynical people are that way because their surroundings have disappointed them and their education has left them hopeless. Given a real opportunity, there's nobody who wouldn't want to do well."

Both nodded silently.

Feeling I had said too much, I smiled and served them some food. "Eat, eat. All this talking, and the food's gone cold. Then it's settled. A computer for your birthday. Fatty Yang and Old Man Ge have birthdays in June and July. I'll really be spending a fortune..."

Guo Zhen was quick-witted and suddenly understood why Zhang Xiaotong and I were discussing things unrelated to the loan: we were sparing him embarrassment. "Aren't you going to ask what I need the money for or when I can pay it back?"

I swallowed my braised eggplant and gave him a strange look. "Do you think I'd ask? Do we not trust you?"

Guo Zhen thought about it and agreed. Deeply gratified, he lowered his head and began eating with peace of mind.

As I ate, I glanced at Zhang Xiaotong out of the corner of my eye. She was stealing looks at me too, a springlike smile at the corners of her eyes. Smiling, I gave her calf a pinch under the table.

After lunch, Guo Zhen left with the money without saying much. I liked that. Sometimes we could say a great deal; sometimes fewer words worked better.

During afternoon study hall, Xu Jiajia asked me, "What did your friend want at noon?"

I glanced at Zhang Xin. "Look at her. She ran into him too, but she hasn't asked."

Xu Jiajia said breezily, "That's because she doesn't like boys who look like that. I do."

I rolled my eyes. "But Guo Zhen and I don't look alike..."

Great. My mouth had landed me in trouble, and I got a vicious pinch. Why did little girls these days all have a talent for pinching? I remembered my former girlfriend never pinching me. Still, mentally I was pushing thirty now, so a generation gap with young girls was only natural.

I made something up offhand. "Nothing much. He wanted me to go out and have fun. I said I wasn't free these next few days."

"Who are you trying to fool?" Xu Jiajia pouted. "Look how nervous you were at noon, so afraid we'd find out. When have you ever been afraid of us knowing you were going out for fun?"

My head ached. Dealing with little girls had never been my specialty. Heaven knew Xu Jiajia had been my deskmate for six whole years, and after this reload, I was doing another six. Twelve years of clinical experience combined, and I still couldn't handle her. Clearly, some things didn't improve just because you got a second try.

Xu Jiajia refused to let up. "What's wrong? Can't come up with another lie?"

"No, no," I insisted stubbornly. "I just didn't want the class gossips knowing I was hanging around with people from other schools and tattling. Look at those characters in our class. They can't read a textbook passage properly, but when it comes to this stuff, they never run out of things to say."

Xu Jiajia followed my gaze and saw several core members of the so-called "gossip gang" watching us. I knew that look well: the excitement of entertainment reporters catching a celebrity cheating.

I told her, "See? By tomorrow, they might start spreading stories about you and me."

School gossip still carried a lot of weight these days. In particular, rumors of something romantic between two people could even draw the school's attention. Xu Jiajia's face flushed bright red, but her mouth remained defiant. "If they wanted to make things up, they would've done it ages ago. Why wait until now?"

"Now is different from before." Smiling, I continued steering the conversation elsewhere. "They've noticed you've gotten prettier, and they're jealous."

"Only a ghost would believe you!"

"So you're a ghost..."

This pointless conversation lasted until nearly the end of class, and Xu Jiajia completely forgot to keep asking why Guo Zhen had come looking for me. As for me, I learned anew the meaning of "each day feels like a year."

The dismissal bell sounded like a pardon. I grabbed my schoolbag and fled. To my surprise, Zhang Xin followed and called out to stop me.

The playground was bustling. Students heading home poured out of the classroom building in twos and threes, making the whole playground as lively as a weekend flea market. Zhang Xin hadn't called very loudly, but I heard her perfectly.

No matter how noisy the surroundings, I could hear her voice.

Zhang Xin had grown prettier, with her delicate, adorable short hair, lovely oval face, expressive big eyes, and a pair of picturesque arched brows that stirred countless memories and sorrows in me. At school, I had always restrained myself from looking at her too much. Ever since she and Xu Jiajia had become inseparable as sisters, I had begun looking directly at her more often. After all, she was the first girl I had ever liked back then, and there was still something about her that captivated me. I was always afraid I would lose control and pursue her regardless of everything, making up for the regret of having only loved her in secret back then.

In truth, I had struggled many times over these past few years, but in the end, I had painfully made up my mind: let her stay beautiful in my memories. Later, she would attend a prestigious university and pursue postgraduate studies, all of which would be far removed from my life.

Many years later, she no longer remembered me, and I could see a faint smile in a group photograph.

A competitive, quiet, gentle girl.

That was the entirety of my memories of Zhang Xin.

Note 1: In April 1994, Cui Jian held a large solo concert at the closing ceremony of the Weifang International Kite Festival, drawing an audience of over thirty thousand.