(End of this volume)
The boy closed his eyes, sat up, and reached forward with both hands, pretending he couldn’t see just yet.
Before long, warm fingertips touched the edges of his eye sockets, gently pulling them apart.
The girl’s face appeared right before him; the slight curve of her lips was more noticeable than before.
Clearly, from that brief moment of awakening, she had realized that the boy could see.
To her, he was like her balcony, and even the tiniest gap in the curtain let her bask in the light of a rainbow.
He got out of bed and walked towards the basin stand; this short distance in the room felt like he was learning to walk again.
He had to stop, fearful that if he continued, he would fall.
He had once worried that he might not adapt when the day came that he could truly see, and now that concern had come to pass.
Li Zhuyuan knew his ability to learn was strong, which had caused him to overly depend on “memory images” in the past.
Right then, his perceptions were in conflict.
He closed his eyes; everything felt the same, but ultimately he would have to live with his eyes open.
Calming his emotions, Li Zhuyuan declined A Li’s offer to help him, holding the basin with his left hand and steadying himself against the wall with the right as he walked.
Reaching the water tank, he placed the basin down and looked around; the early morning plain and countryside looked like a vast ink wash painting.
It had been a long time since he had seen such beauty.
Suddenly, Li Zhuyuan wanted to learn to paint.
Aside from having no confidence in subjects related to "body recovery," he felt confident in everything else.
Besides, he had an excellent little teacher of traditional painting by his side.
After washing up, knowing breakfast was still a while away, Li Zhuyuan, as usual, began playing chess with A Li.
They didn’t set up a chess board; instead, they pointed with their fingers, but this time A Li no longer needed to guide his hand.
As they played, Li Zhuyuan felt he still had the energy to be distracted, unable to focus completely.
“A Li, shall we play another game?”
The girl nodded, and they started a new game.
The previous game had taken a steady and measured approach, while this new one was all about aggressive offense.
It felt interesting to the boy, and the girl seemed unfazed.
In the end, although the form of play had changed, the result remained the same; the boy lost four games in a row, at an even faster rate.
“Breakfast is ready!”
Liu Auntie's voice was truly delightful.
Downstairs, after finishing a bowl of porridge and a salted duck egg, Li Zhuyuan quickly cleaned his plate. He had come down early, and others were gradually getting up.
Aunt Liu brought over a bag of apples she bought on the way.
Li Zhuyuan picked up a small knife and began peeling apples for everyone.
Tan Wenbin and Run Sheng didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary; after greeting him, they sat down to eat.
When Li Sanjiang came down and picked up his chopsticks, he noticed his great-grandson peeling an apple, and his eyelids jumped in shock.
Although he was relieved that his visually impaired great-grandson had embraced life without giving up, he still felt uneasy seeing him handle such a delicate and dangerous task.
“Little Yuanyuan, you…”
“Great-grandfather, I can see now.”
His simple declaration left Li Sanjiang dazed for a long while.
Tan Wenbin and Run Sheng, on the other hand, quickly regained their senses and rushed over to take a look. They knew and believed that Little Yuanyuan's eyesight would get better, so they only expressed their congratulations for his recovery from illness.
Li Sanjiang didn’t move closer; instead, he watched carefully as Little Yuanyuan interacted with others, noticing how he was now sharing glances.
He wiped away tears from the corner of his eyes with the back of his hand, bowed his head, and started sipping his porridge—each spoonful slurped with extra effort and noise.
Some people's emotions build up like a dam; little by little they gather in life, habitually suppressing and failing to express them. But when they accumulate to a certain level, they overflow.
Li Zhuyuan sliced the apples and carried a plate over to Liu Yumei.
“Your eyesight has improved?”
“Yeah, it’s better. Grandma, was everything alright on your trip?”
“Everything went smoothly, we just ran into some old friends and didn't want to brush them off, so we shared a meal, that’s why we came back late.”
“Glad to hear that.”
“Be careful with your eyes,” Liu Yumei yawned, “You’re still young, don’t rush to tire yourself out; you’ll regret it later.”
“I understand, Grandma.”
Li Zhuyuan walked over to Li Sanjiang’s side. “Great-grandfather, have an apple.”
“Little Yuanyuan, let’s take you to the hospital for a check-up.”
“No need, Great-grandfather, didn’t the professor from Shanghai say that this illness will be fine once it’s better? If not, there isn't much we can do about it. I just need to take care of my rest from now on.”
“Right, and remember, the professor also said you shouldn't worry too much. When you start school, take it slow with your studies. Health comes first; it’s alright if your grades slip a bit.”
While drinking porridge, Tan Wenbin suddenly felt a pang in his cheek.
“Sure, Great-grandfather, I’ll contact Uncle Tan and have him help me with the enrollment procedures soon.”
“Good, Officer Tan is a good man.” Li Sanjiang lit a cigarette for himself, calling out “Zhuang Zhuang,” and tossed a cigarette over.
“Great-grandfather, before I go to school, should I let my grandparents know?”
“Do you think Han Hou and Gui Ying Hou don’t know yet?”
“Have they already been informed?”
“After we moved the household registration, I went to their house the very next day to tell them. Gui Ying Hou cried a lot, while Han Hou didn’t cry but was still very upset.”
Only then did Li Zhuyuan realize that after the household move, the frequency of visits from Li Weihan and Cui Guiying had drastically reduced. They had only come once recently, and at that time, he had pretended to be playing “ghost catching” to avoid worrying them with his blindness.
Now that he thought about it, they were most likely afraid they might burst into tears when they came to see him.
“Your grandparents need to take it easy. This matter hit them the hardest; don’t blame them. Even though they have many grandchildren, they still favor you.”
“I understand, Great-grandfather.”
“They even tried to return all the money your mother sent over to me, saying it was for your tuition. I scolded them back, haha. I said, since you’re now under my household registration, then it’s my responsibility to raise you.
Anyway, Han Hou won’t suffer. In the future, he’ll take care of me when I’m old, and everything I’ve worked for is all for his grandson.”
“Great-grandfather, may you live to be one hundred and twenty.”
“Haha, alright, now that your eyesight is better, after your enrollment is confirmed, I will call your grandparents over for dinner, and you will continue to live with me.”
At that moment, Li Zhuyuan's ears twitched; he turned to look outside the yard and spotted yesterday's storyteller—Yu Shu.
He remembered Yu Shu had mentioned to Tan Yunlong that he would be leaving today, but he didn’t expect him to come so early.
Though he somewhat understood that this person posed no real danger, his mere presence and actions still made Li Zhuyuan feel somewhat uncomfortable, as there was a chance he might uncover some past deeds.
Aunt Liu, carrying a bowl of porridge, stood up first and walked to the steps, looking at Yu Shu and asking, “Did you take a wrong turn?”
Yu Shu smiled and waved his folding fan. “No, I came specifically to ask for some rice.”
Aunt Liu replied impatiently, “We only have home-style meals here.”
“A wandering minstrel’s simple fare is nothing but home-style meals. Who has the privilege to feast in fine restaurants every day?”
Li Sanjiang, hearing the commotion, bit into an apple and looked over, immediately smiling as he approached, “What a rare guest! Come, sit at the yard.”
Though Li Sanjiang didn’t know this person’s exact identity, anyone surrounded by the police going here and there could only be either a criminal or a significant personage.
Yu Shu shook hands with Li Sanjiang but remained standing.
At that moment, Liu Yumei, who was drinking tea in the yard, spoke up, “A Ting, who’s here?”
Yu Shu took the initiative to respond, “A wandering minstrel.”
“Then perform a segment for us.”
“Sure, please be lenient.”
Yu Shu turned around and soon began pushing a small cart over, carrying a set of his equipment.
Li Sanjiang, puzzled, asked, “What’s this for?”
As Yu Shu set up his stage, he answered with a smile, “To get a meal, I need to showcase my talents.”
“It’s just for one meal, no need to go through all this trouble.”
“Otherwise, I might as well be begging on the streets.”
“True.” Li Sanjiang understood his meaning and turned his head to call, “Run Sheng, Zhuang Zhuang, come help.”
Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin had noticed the visitor earlier, but they remembered Little Yuanyuan saying that the person might be from the same trade, so they all looked at Li Zhuyuan.
“Run Sheng, Brother Bin, let’s work together.”
Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin stepped forward to help set up the stage and hang the curtains.
Yu Shu didn’t set the stage facing north but rather positioned it westward, facing Liu Yumei sipping tea and the eastern room.
Li Sanjiang proposed, “How about this? I’ll treat this as my private gathering and call some villagers over to prevent things from being too quiet.”
Yu Shu shook his head, saying, “The price was agreed upon; it’s just one meal. Moreover, there are many people here; it’s lively enough.”
Then, Yu Shu’s gaze landed on Li Zhuyuan, and he couldn’t help but smile and ask, “Your eyesight has improved?”
“Yeah, it’s better.”
The next moment, Yu Shu opened his fan and waved it, while his fingertips tapped irregularly on its surface.
The eyes are the windows to the soul; having sight once more meant that his “well” of vision had sprung back to life.
The boy understood that he was assessing his fortune by features.
Yesterday he had asked whether he had always been surnamed Li and whether he was truly the old man’s biological great-grandson.
Li Zhuyuan decided to counter and mirror his inquiry.
Just as he was about to do so, Liu Yumei’s voice called out, “Little Yuan, come and brew tea for grandma.”
“I’m coming, grandma.”
Li Zhuyuan turned and walked over to make tea.
Seeing this, Yu Shu clearly paused for a moment before tapping his forehead three times, doing so with considerable force, reddening his forehead.
Following that, he began to tell a tale.
Today’s story was once again about Tang yet focused on Li Shimin but in a comedic fashion rather than strict history, recounting how Li Shimin had once faced danger but was saved by monks from Shaolin Temple, eventually defeating his foes with the help of the monks and various wanderer allies.
With just himself, a table, a chair, a fan, and a ruler, he narrated the events vividly and skillfully, recreating the atmosphere of clanging weapons and fierce battles with his mouth.
Li Sanjiang listened in rapt attention.
Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin were taken in for a while, then briefly startled awake before falling back into fascination.
Meanwhile, Li Zhuyuan remained sitting beside Liu Yumei, accompanying her for tea.
Yu Shu’s storytelling went on for two hours without pause.
Once he finished, he clapped the fan and bowed deeply.
“Good! Good!” Li Sanjiang was the first to applaud.
Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin clapped vigorously, but as they did and turned back to look at Little Yuan.
Li Sanjiang spoke to Liu Auntie, “A Ting, prepare something nice for lunch; I want to have a hearty drink with Mr. Yu.”
Liu Yumei interjected, “A Ting, give him something to eat.”
“Alright!”
Aunt Liu entered the kitchen and seemed to have already prepared, quickly bringing out a bowl of cold porridge left from breakfast and a plate of pickled vegetables. There were no salted duck eggs.
Li Sanjiang expressed discontent, “This won’t do; it’s not like we have no food at home.”
But Yu Shu took the bowl, poured the pickles into the porridge, picked up chopsticks, sat down on the ground, and began to eat heartily, praising, “Really good, eating cold porridge in this hot weather is a delight.”
Li Sanjiang frowned, wanting to intervene, but in the blink of an eye, Yu Shu had finished a whole bowl of porridge. He could only say, “Wait until Mr. Yu finishes eating, and then we…”
“Li Grandpa, I’m full now,” Yu Shu rose, returning the bowl and chopsticks to Liu Auntie, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Li Grandpa, ideally, to initiate my performance, I should pay respects to the ancestors first. Do you have any ancestor tablets in your house?”
“We don’t have ancestor tablets, but we have plenty of portraits of deities.”
“Then please take me to pay my respects.”
“Of course.”
Li Sanjiang led Yu Shu into a small room adjacent to the kitchen filled with pictures of various deities, the wealth of which took Yu Shu by surprise.
Li Sanjiang gradually introduced each of the deities to him as Yu Shu paid his respects one by one.
When Li Sanjiang introduced Confucius's image as the Primordial Heavenly Lord, Yu Shu couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of his eye.
At one point, he even became uncertain whether to perform the Daoist bow or the Confucian bow.
In the end, there was no choice but to bow twice.
Once they emerged, Yu Shu immediately approached Liu Yumei and said, “It’s customary to pay respects after the performance.”
Liu Yumei shook her head helplessly and told Li Zhuyuan, “He shouldn’t have eaten that meal.”
Yu Shu bent at the waist, “It’s normal to pay a visit after performance.”
Liu Yumei finally nodded, “Go ahead.”
Yu Shu pushed open the door to the eastern room and walked inside.
Li Zhuyuan stood up, glancing at Grandma Liu. Noticing her head was lowered without response, he moved a few steps toward the doorway, catching sight of Yu Shu making a deep bow at the offering table inside.
Actually, even if people now perform deep bows, they follow various customs; for the most part, it’s just to express a heartfelt offering without striving for standards any longer.
Yu Shu performed standard deep bows, initially with a solemn expression, but after three bows, his face grew sorrowful, tears streaming down.
After the ceremony, he didn’t rush out but took some time to wipe his tears and adjust his emotions.
He was aware that the boy was watching from the doorway but didn’t conceal it in the slightest.
In certain special places, some people willingly shed their disguises, allowing themselves to appear honest and pure.
At last, Yu Shu rubbed his face vigorously and forced a smile before stepping out again, approaching Liu Yumei, ready to speak, only to be interrupted by her voice:
“Once you’re done bowing, just leave.”
“Understood.”
Yu Shu replied, gathering his items and loading them into the cart before leaving, with Li Sanjiang personally seeing him off to the village entrance.
Liu Yumei let out a sigh, feeling a little lost as she entered the house and sat down at the offering table, briefly glancing at the newly added tablets alongside the old.
“They still remember you.”
Pausing, she spoke with a hint of displeasure, “But does anyone remember A Li?”
Tan Wenbin returned home the day before, crying as if it was a life-and-death separation.
Li Sanjiang couldn’t help but tease, “Right, the boy has talent, so if anyone in the future needs to hire a mourner, just come for him; he can surely cry to satisfy the family.”
After hugging Run Sheng and Li Sanjiang, Tan Wenbin wanted to hug Li Zhuyuan again.
But when the boy handed him three textbooks—one for math, one for physics, and one for chemistry—Tan Wenbin couldn’t bring himself to hug him and only cried even louder.
It had been thunder and rain as he left, with Run Sheng riding a tricycle to bring him back, both of them drenched despite wearing raincoats.
Today, it was bright and sunny; Tan Yunlong had taken a special leave to pick Li Zhuyuan up for school registration.
Li Zhuyuan said goodbye to everyone in his family one by one, and Li Sanjiang comforted him, “Little Yuanyuan, remember what your great-grandfather said. Just listen in class and don’t think too much, your eyes are important, understand?”
Tan Yunlong, standing nearby, couldn’t help but touch his own cheeks in response.
Li Sanjiang took out a bag filled with candies and small cookies, “Here, take this and share with your classmates.”
Li Zhuyuan accepted it.
“Don’t be afraid, if anyone bullies you at school, just come back and tell Great-grandfather; I’ll go to school to support you.”
Tan Yunlong, unable to resist chiming in, said, “Don’t worry, Mr. Li, no one will bully Little Yuan. Besides, Bin Bin will be there too.”
Li Sanjiang countered, “Zhuang Zhuang is in high school, not elementary.”
Tan Yunlong could only nod in agreement, falling silent.
Run Sheng withdrew a fountain pen and handed it over. He had just received his first month’s pay and spent it all on this pen.
After buying the pen, he realized he didn’t have money left for ink, but it was Li Sanjiang who learned of this and took him to a shop to demand a bottle of ink.
Liu Yumei gave him a red envelope; this time, it wasn’t stuffed thick but had just one thin bill inside, merely a gesture.
Li Zhuyuan accepted it.
A Li had prepared nothing; she seemed to have realized that.
She was anxious but didn’t know how to express it, feeling too complicated—neither joy nor anger.
The boy approached the girl and said, “A Li, wait for me to come back from school, and you can help me with my homework.”
The girl’s eyes brightened.
As Li Zhuyuan waved goodbye to his family, he called out to Li Sanjiang, “Great-grandfather, I’m going to high school; I’ll take the university exam next year!”
“Good, good, good! My little Yuanyuan is the best!”
“Haha…” Liu Yumei chuckled nearby, clearly pleased; the old man hadn’t absorbed any of the information and thought he was just speaking childishly.
Following Tan Yunlong, they walked along the pathway to the village road. Upon sitting in the car, Li Zhuyuan noticed there was an additional driver.
The driver was not young, showing signs of age, and the balding area was unable to support the center.
Tan Yunlong jokingly asked, “Does your great-grandfather still not believe you’re going to high school?”
“Hmm, I just need to show him the enrollment papers once they’re sorted. By the way, Uncle Tan, what’s up with this car…”
“I’m not using a public vehicle for personal purposes; this is the school’s car.”
“Cough, cough…” The driver suddenly began to cough.
Tan Yunlong pointed at the driver and said, “Little Yuanyuan, let me introduce you; this is Principal Wu.”
The driver turned around, extending his hand to Li Zhuyuan. “I’m Wu Xinhang; welcome to our school, Li Zhuyuan.”
“Principal Grandpa, thank you for your hard work.”
“No worries; you can just call me Grandpa; no need to add ‘Principal.’”
“Then you can call me Little Yuan.”
“Alright, alright.”
Initially, when Tan Yunlong first called to inquire about the enrollment, there was merely a small stir among the school leadership.
Someone recognized the “Youth Class” matter; however, due to limited communication channels and underdeveloped information flow, even a few highly educated teachers in the school had only vaguely heard about this, knowing these children were usually prodigies.
Fortunately, there was ample time, and since Li Zhuyuan had been temporarily blind, worried about delaying his enrollment, Tan Yunlong decided to provide the school with Li Zhuyuan’s registration information to facilitate things.
The school then used its connections to inquire about the situation and even sent two physical education teachers by train to Beijing. Those teachers were diligent and indeed located the school, then probing around found that this student named “Li Zhuyuan” was about to attend high school, attracting the attention of several esteemed professors who regarded him highly.
Fortunately, the deputies were PE teachers with good health and speed; otherwise, it would have been considered occupational hazard.
But they finally retrieved the information back, leading the office into a frenzy.
Although they were unclear why such a student would randomly appear to attend high school in a township, it hardly mattered; it was akin to having a top scorer slip right through the front door.
Had it not been for Tan Yunlong’s insistence on keeping the address, warning the school not to disturb them, Wu Xinhang would have gathered people long ago to visit.
As the car pulled into the school and halted in front of the administrative building, a crowd of teachers swiftly ran out, eyes gleaming with anticipation and curiosity. They didn’t share the same ulterior motives as the school leaders; instead, they were purely eager to see the “golden child” sprouted from their long-cultivated environment.
Among the crowd were Panzi and Leizi, who had been summoned to the office to face a stern reprimand for failing to complete their summer homework.
Initially expecting a protracted battle, they were surprised when the reprimands commenced and the office teachers exclaimed, “He’s arrived!” leading to their dismissal back to class.
The two boys were grateful, staying behind a bit longer to see who had come to rescue them.
“Is the principal driving? Is he the one taking the back door?” Panzi commented.
“Looks like someone from the school leadership is here for an inspection,” Leizi observed.
“That shouldn’t be; no pre-notice for a big clean-up?”
Then, they caught sight of Li Zhuyuan stepping down from the car.
“Hey, this kid looks kind of familiar.”
“Right, I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere.”
“Brother Panzi, Brother Leizi!” Li Zhuyuan waved at them.
In an instant, the gazes of teachers and school leaders turned toward them, including their homeroom teacher.
The psychological pressure was immense, and Panzi and Leizi didn’t even dare to greet him, lowering their heads and rushing toward their classroom.
“Uh…” Li Zhuyuan found it perplexing.
Although the boy arrived at school early, he wasn’t very familiar with traditional campus life and thought the two were deliberately waiting for him.
“Do you know them?” Principal Wu kindly asked.
“They are my cousins.”
“Ah, good.”
Principal Wu made a note, planning to ask their homeroom teacher later how they were doing academically; after all, having blood relations was bound to have some impact, and a whole family shouldn’t have just one clever brain.
Li Zhuyuan was led into… a small meeting room.
He should have been guided to the principal’s office, but it was too small to accommodate everyone.
Along the way, the surrounding teachers began to chatter away.
“Is he really that young?”
“Young is precisely what makes him a prodigy.”
“Is this for real?”
“I don’t know, but there will be tests soon, so we’ll see.”
“Which class will he join once enrolled?”
This question caused the expressions among the senior homeroom teachers to freeze as they exchanged glances with one another.
Especially those with longer seniority displayed an aura of “it must be me.” They were close to retirement, and teachers of this stage were genuinely fearless, willing to confront the principal face-to-face.
Younger homeroom teachers remained calm, knowing this matter was not their concern.
Among them was a Chinese teacher named Sun Qing, who taught an ordinary class—Tan Wenbin was in her class.
“Little Yuan, let me introduce you to our Director of Education, Director Liu, and…”
Principal Wu introduced Li Zhuyuan to each school authority in turn.
Li Zhuyuan was not shy; he actively greeted them.
During his time in the youth class, he had garnered significant attention from the old professors—not because he excelled in every subject but because he performed well across all domains, unlike others prone to specialize in one area while neglecting others.
After they completed the introductions, they proceeded to the crucial final stage.
“Little Yuan, this is a test prepared by our teachers of the school; take a look and choose to answer some questions?”
While phrased politely and graciously, everyone present subconsciously held their breath.
Seeing is believing; it doesn’t matter how impressive the fanfare is; the true measure lay within this examination.
These papers were newly crafted by the respective subject teams, and the likelihood of leaks was negligible, hence the scores would be entirely accurate.
Li Zhuyuan sat down, picked up the pen, and began answering the questions.
Initially, the school and district leaders thought they could step out for a smoke after watching for a bit, considering the sheer number of test papers could take a while to complete.
However, they were soon struck dumb.
Li Zhuyuan tackled the first math paper without a hint of contemplation, his eyes scanning the questions as he wrote the answers. At one point, his hand continued writing the answer for the previous question while his gaze already shifted to the next.
Everyone present was literate, but who had ever seen someone write a math exam at a speed limited by their hands?
In fact, Li Zhuyuan was doing this deliberately.
He understood the necessity of performing exceptionally well to ensure that his subsequent learning would be less constrained and wouldn’t interfere with his cultivation.
Finishing the math paper, Li Zhuyuan moved on to the physics test.
Principal Wu exclaimed the inner thoughts of the onlookers, “Quick, let’s grade it.”
The math group teachers began grading, each quickly marking with red pens.
The surrounding crowd anticipated encountering an “×” somewhere, but it never appeared.
The math teachers checking off answers had their hearts racing. They knew that even though the format of the exam paper mimicked college entrance exam difficulty, the actual challenge far surpassed standard exam questions, which were typically tiered with simpler and more difficult ones.
Their test papers were not to be shared with the senior students because it could easily affect the students' mental state.
The leader of the math group looked at the school and district leaders and said, “All correct.”
There were indeed a few minor issues, like utilizing methods unsuitable for high school in two problem-solving questions, which might deduct points during grading. However, this was not the time to nitpick; simply advising to pay attention sufficed, just as one would remind students not to forget “showing their work” during examinations.
Wu Xinhang and the school leaders wore expressions of relief, shaking hands with district officials, finally feeling a weight lift off their shoulders.
Meanwhile, the teachers collectively gasped in amazement. While students had only taken a math paper, practitioners were well aware of what this implied.
One young teacher couldn’t help but joke, “If I taught him, would I find it dull teaching other students in the future?”
Laughter erupted among some teachers, while others chimed in mischievously, “Do you really need to teach him?”
After quickly answering the physics and chemistry questions, Li Zhuyuan proceeded to tackle the remaining subjects.
No one interrupted him; since he was willing to complete all the tests, they were eager to witness all the results.
He also seriously worked through the language paper, crafting a beautifully worded and well-structured essay as per the prompt.
In short, he ensured he didn’t exhibit any weaknesses, capable of casually taking leave from each subject.
The only paper he skipped was the English listening test—not because Li Zhuyuan wanted to but because the English teachers, seeing how quickly he was answering, had proposed skipping it, not wanting to waste everyone’s time with audio playback.
Once completed, Li Zhuyuan laid down his pen and rubbed his wrists. Seeing this, Principal Wu personally reached out to assist him in relieving tension.
While doing these exercises didn’t strain his brain, they did tax his hands; the calculations were nowhere near taxing as much as his previous experience with fortune-telling.
The papers were swiftly graded, and even the essay garnered no criticism from the language teachers, and despite the speed, his calligraphy was truly beautiful.
Many teachers took off their glasses to clean them, all profoundly experiencing what true prodigious talent felt like that day.
Tan Yunlong remained notably calm amidst the crowd, fully convinced that the boy would face no issues during the entrance examination, having already been shocked by him in various matters before.
Principal Wu leaned down and smiled warmly, “Come, Little Yuan, let me introduce you to some excellent homeroom teachers from our senior grade.”
Such a student will definitely be assigned to experienced and skilled teachers.
Though it’s unclear what experience would mean to this boy.
At that moment, Li Zhuyuan turned to Tan Yunlong and asked, “Uncle Tan, which class is Bin Bin in?”
Tan Yunlong wanted to laugh but held back, then looked toward his son’s homeroom teacher, Sun Qing, an old acquaintance.
Usually, other parents only get to see the homeroom teacher once during a yearly parent meeting. Thanks to his son’s strong recommendation, he almost met her monthly.
At times, he feared their frequent encounters might give rise to gossip, and he had to alternate shifts with his wife.
“Little Yuan, let’s select our class…”
Li Zhuyuan didn’t wait for Principal Wu to finish his words and approached the young Sun Qing.
“Hello, teacher, I look forward to your guidance from now on.”
After speaking, Li Zhuyuan bowed slightly.
“Teacher, what’s your surname?”
Tan Yunlong chimed in, “It’s Sun Qing, Teacher Sun.”
Sun Qing shot a grateful look at Tan Yunlong.
“Teacher Sun, let’s head back to the classroom.” Li Zhuyuan reached out and took hold of Teacher Sun's hand.
He didn’t feel any embarrassment, seeing this as an entitlement earned through his own capability, so he wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of it.
The older homeroom teachers were in a state of bewilderment; Principal Wu quickly reacted, saying with a smile, “Teacher Sun, Little Yuan is our school's treasure, and this is a task appointed to you; you must take good care of him.”
“Rest assured, Principal; I will.”
Teacher Sun led Li Zhuyuan out, feeling slightly pressured and unsure if she could remain there.
As soon as they exited the small meeting room, they were met with a tumultuous debate inside.
Tan Yunlong, rushing out, said, “Little Yuan, Uncle will pick you up tonight for dinner at home.”
“No need, Uncle; I’m eating at home.”
“Alright then.” Tan Yunlong patted the boy’s shoulder and walked toward the school gate.
Entering the teaching building and climbing the stairs, Li Zhuyuan sensed Teacher Sun’s palms were quite warm and sweaty.
At this point, she was still disoriented; the high school was indeed large, with several classes in one grade.
Three nights prior, while falling asleep beside her husband, she had wished this child could enter her class, but she hadn’t truly expected that a peach would be presented before her.
Feeling lost in thought as they went up the stairs, Teacher Sun nearly missed a step, managing to stabilize herself with her hands just in time. Otherwise, the prodigy just entrusted to her by the principal would have tumbled down the steps.
A wave of panic washed over her, nearly bringing tears to her eyes.
“Teacher Sun, let's sit next to Bin Bin.”
“Um, okay.”
After agreeing, Teacher Sun furrowed her brows, as if sensing something was off, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint what.
By the time they reached the door of Senior Class 13, both Teacher Sun and Li Zhuyuan understood what felt amiss.
Li Zhuyuan noticed that Tan Wenbin’s desk was uniquely isolated from the rest of the class, placed right next to the teacher's desk.
Facing away from the classroom door, Tan Wenbin didn’t immediately notice Li Zhuyuan, as he was completely absorbed in his studies.
Most of the teachers had gone to watch the excitement, and nearly the entire senior class was engaged in self-study.
Once he sensed a change in the class atmosphere, Tan Wenbin turned around, first seeing the homeroom teacher, then Li Zhuyuan, a bright smile spreading across his face, disregarding any age-appropriate decorum or the potential for embarrassment as he waved and shouted:
“Little Yuan!”
Teacher Sun reflexively glared at Tan Wenbin. Though this student was not bad by nature, he had a habit of causing trouble, and his overly outgoing personality could be challenging to manage.
However, after a moment’s glare, her expression softened, especially since she had benefited from his presence today.
“Classmates, let me introduce our new student.”
Li Zhuyuan stepped onto the teaching platform, displaying his signature bashful smile:
“Hello everyone, my name is Li Zhuyuan; I hope to receive your guidance from now on.”
Teacher Sun pointed to the front row by the door, “Tan Wenbin, move your desk here; you will be sitting next to Little Yuan.”
“Okay, teacher.”
Tan Wenbin shifted his desk into position; given his height, he ended up sitting closer to the wall, with Li Zhuyuan next to him.
In truth, Li Zhuyuan had wanted to sit in the back corner where the feng shui was optimal, but he knew that wasn’t possible now.
“Tan Wenbin, come help Little Yuan get his books.”
“Sure, teacher!”
Next began the straightforward classroom time.
With the teacher conducting lessons up front and Li Zhuyuan sitting below flipping through his books, he needed to review the high school syllabus.
Throughout the lesson, other teachers would stroll by, pretending to pass through but sneak a peek at him.
After class, students from other classes, hearing the news, would gather at the door.
However, Li Zhuyuan merely flipped through his books silently, showing no signs of being outgoing. With Tan Wenbin beside him, no one could disrupt his focus.
During noon mealtime, Tan Wenbin lamented that the school cafeteria food was terrible and suggested they go to a nearby eatery, bringing along another friend—Zheng Haiyang, who had faced bullying last time.
His parents were seamen who were seldom home, which made him appear rather shy.
While they were eating, Tan Wenbin mentioned that both the homeroom teacher and principal had spoken to him, instructing him to take good care of Little Yuan.
After lunch and returning to the classroom, it was nominally a self-study period but was actually more of a Chinese language class, followed by a twenty-five-minute nap, then continuation of lessons.
The teachers gave Li Zhuyuan considerable leeway; for instance, during English class, he was seen browsing through his physics textbook right under the teacher's gaze, and she acted as if she didn’t see him.
By the end of the second afternoon class, Li Zhuyuan had flipped through all the textbooks.
He decided to start bringing Wei Zhengdao's book to class to read from the next day onwards.
The third and fourth classes were math lessons, and Li Zhuyuan rested his head on the desk and began to sleep.
He wasn’t being disrespectful to the teacher; he merely understood that if everyone continued for too long, he would tire, preferring to ease into a mutual understanding that would allow everyone some comfort.
At first, his classmates had expected an entertaining performance, given their math teacher, Teacher Yan, was famously temperamental.
But as Teacher Yan taught, upon noticing the little student sleeping in the front row, he kindly draped his coat over him.
A warm smile graced his face.
While Teacher Yan was in the middle of writing three problems on the board for the students to solve, he gently woke Li Zhuyuan up.
Li Zhuyuan sat up, looking at the problems on the blackboard, picked up a pen, and swiftly wrote down the answers.
Seeing this, Teacher Yan swallowed and rubbed his hands, quietly asking, “Little Yuan, would you be interested in participating in the Olympiad Math Competition?”
“I’d love to, Teacher; I will join.”
Teacher Yan, in that moment, was overjoyed and repeatedly thanked him.
After the fourth lesson concluded, they could eat dinner, and then there would be evening self-study.
Li Zhuyuan glanced at Tan Wenbin, “Brother Bin, I’m heading home.”
Tan Wenbin paused, asking, “Wait, aren’t you skipping evening self-study on your first day?”
“Mm.”
“Uh, what I meant was, don’t you want to fully experience a typical day in high school?”
“Not particularly; I’ve already called Run Sheng to come get me.”
Books and supplies could be left at the desk; Li Zhuyuan exited the classroom with empty hands.
Along the way, many students stared at him, feeling as if a primary school student had infiltrated the high school crowd.
Li Zhuyuan felt similarly.
By the time they stepped out of the teaching building, Li Zhuyuan suddenly remembered he had forgotten to greet Panzi and Leizi in their classroom.
Never mind, he would just see them tomorrow.
“Little Yuan, wait for me!”
Li Zhuyuan paused, turning his head to see Tan Wenbin sprinting toward him with a backpack.
“Brother Bin, I’m heading home.”
“I’m going home as well.”
“I’m going back to Great-grandfather’s house.”
“I’ll return to Zhuang Zhuang’s house.”
“Are you skipping class? Aren’t you afraid Uncle Tan will give you a beating?”
Li Zhuyuan looked at the schedule, noticing the early and late study times were scheduled, all regarded as official lessons held with teachers.
“It’s fine; my dad actually prefers me sticking with you.”
“Did you let Uncle Tan know?”
“Once I get back, I’ll call Aunt Zhang’s shop to let him know.”
“Okay.”
Li Zhuyuan nodded and continued walking toward the school gate.
Tan Wenbin followed behind, beaming with joy, especially seeing those classmates who needed to return for more lessons after eating; his excitement only grew.
Once outside the school gate, Li Zhuyuan started looking for Run Sheng's tricycle but couldn't find it.
“Hey, did Run Sheng forget to pick you up?” Tan Wenbin asked, also looking around.
“Run Sheng probably parked a bit far away; let’s cross the road first.”
“What’s wrong with him? Doesn’t he come to school to pick you up?”
“There’s a lot of people at the school gate.”
“A lot of people? What kind of reason is that?”
After crossing the road, dodging the crowd of students and vendors, Li Zhuyuan finally spotted Run Sheng at the northwest corner of the alley, bouncing and waving his arms.
As they approached, Tan Wenbin couldn’t help but scold, “Why didn't you just stop at Grandpa Li’s courtyard to pick us up?”
Then Tan Wenbin fell silent.
Because sitting at the back of the tricycle was a girl in a red dress.
Although this place was secluded, it was not exceptionally so compared to the school gate, as people still passed by occasionally.
The girl sat on the tricycle bench, appearing as startled as a timid deer, visibly displaying her strength yet forcing a smile.
Li Zhuyuan hopped onto the tricycle, and the girl immediately reached for his hand, finally feeling at ease.
Tan Wenbin hesitated beside the tricycle, not sure if he should climb aboard.
Run Sheng remembered his earlier jabs and shot him a glance, saying, “You’re being unnecessary.”
“I’ll have my dad bring my bike tomorrow.”
“Brother Bin, jump in,” Li Zhuyuan noticed that A Li had begun to show less reluctance towards familiar faces from home.
“Alright, Little Yuan.” Tan Wenbin got on, settling at the edge of the seat.
“Let’s go home!”
Run Sheng pedaled the tricycle, heading west in the direction of their home.
On the ride, the youth radiated with vibrancy, envy igniting the twilight and dazzling under the evening sun.
(End of this volume)
(End of this chapter)