In the early morning, the door of the east house opened from the inside, and A Li, dressed in a lotus-patterned cloak, stepped out.
In the past, she was always the first to wake in the family, but today was different. In the courtyard, Runsheng and Tan Wenbin sat across from each other, focused on sharpening their sickles.
As A Li walked by, Runsheng looked up and smiled at her, saying, "Good morning."
A Li paused for a moment before she shifted her steps and went back inside, heading upstairs. Although she didn’t say a word, that brief pause felt like the biggest response to him.
She pushed open her room door and walked in. The boy was still asleep. A Li started to admire the paintings hung on the wall, all painted by the boy.
There were three completed works. The first was of a small yellow oriole. The woman depicted in the painting wasn't fierce with sharp teeth but rather appeared gentle and reserved, swaying gently as if she were about to step out of the painting, ready to sing and dance.
The second painting was of a kind-hearted old woman with white hair, sitting in the yard under the sun, a black cat sleeping on her lap.
The third painting was of a middle-aged man, deliberately obscured, showing only his back. However, the ancient bronze coin hanging from his waist was painted with great detail, every line clear and distinct.
Great care was taken with the backgrounds of the three paintings. The first had a dreamlike quality, the second was warm yet tinged with desolation, while the third felt oppressive.
Just as A Li was lost in her thoughts, Li Zhuiyuan woke up. The boy walked to her side, joining her in observing the paintings for a while.
After washing up, it was time for their usual chess game. Now, they played three rounds together, which greatly improved the efficiency of Li Zhuiyuan's losses.
“Time for breakfast!”
This was Liu Ayi's daily call, signaling the official start of the day.
Runsheng and Tan Wenbin returned from the fields together. With the autumn harvest in full swing, it had been busy in the fields these past few days. Tan Wenbin had gotten up early to lend a hand.
He had never experienced hardship before, and from working in the fields, his hands were now blistered, but he didn’t mind, casually picking at them with a needle. Even Li Sanjiang advised him to stop, but Tan Wenbin laughed and replied, “It’s fine, strengthens me!”
After the morning study session, Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin walked into the classroom.
On Zheng Haiyang's desk, there was a pot of flowers.
Zheng's family situation had been classified as a robbery and murder, but Tan Yunlong didn’t directly inform Li Zhuiyuan whether anyone had come to investigate, nor did he continue to discuss the follow-up investigation details. Sometimes, no news was also a form of news.
It meant that the three of them had managed to distance themselves from the matter.
Even though they had visited the scene and left plenty of traces behind, careful inspection would certainly reveal more details. However, certain professions demanded specialization, and Li Zhuiyuan didn’t know if Yu Shu had returned or if someone new had taken over. They were not criminal investigators and would likely overlook the role of "ordinary people" in such matters.
During this time, Tan Wenbin was studying with great focus. Aside from accompanying Li Zhuiyuan to the restroom during breaks, he was always doing his exercises.
“The Zhuiyuan Study Collection” was now being printed and sold by the school. Tan Wenbin had avoided a lot of mundane troubles, but his current workbook was specially made, designed by Li Zhuiyuan according to his learning progress and situation.
After entering high school, Li Zhuiyuan hadn’t learned much from textbooks. If it weren’t for his vastly superior memory, his “academic performance” might have declined.
Yet, his ability to teach others had vastly improved, as if he were not in high school but in a teacher training school.
Tan Wenbin remained cheery, joking around, and creating a lively atmosphere at the dining table with Li Sanjiang.
But in his own time, he seemed quieter, as if he had things on his mind.
At school, he focused on lessons and exercises, while at home, he went over the basics with Runsheng. Occasionally, he would bring forth the learning issues he summarized to Li Zhuiyuan for answers.
Li Zhuiyuan could sense that these questions were genuinely challenging for Tan Wenbin, who had undoubtedly spent many rounds trying to tackle them.
Gradual growth was indeed a form of happiness.
While mature growth overnight often drew envy.
Once, Tan Wenbin had loudly declared that he too wanted to attend "Haihe University," which was more of a wishful thought. Now, he was genuinely working step by step toward that goal, becoming very focused.
A retired philosophy professor in their residential area once told Li Zhuiyuan that there are two kinds of smart people in this world. The first are those like Li Zhuiyuan, who are naturally clever, while the second are those with clear cognition, who know what to do at certain milestones in their life and can create plans to achieve those goals.
The former have brains that work too well, learning quickly. No matter how others envy them, they cannot replicate it, as it's innate, a gift carried in their genes.
However, the latter are no less capable; they just know what steps to take and how to plan their hard work during certain periods of life.
Society and life bring great pressure, but most people are often lost and aimlessly pushed into the next stage of competition. Yet, if they could start planning two or three years earlier, their competitors would indeed be few.
Xue Liangliang was a genius among the latter, for his vision could see not just two or three years ahead but even twenty or thirty years into the future.
Even Li Zhuiyuan frequently found himself subconsciously using Liangliang's insights as a sort of future prediction. This wasn’t fortune-telling; it was simply that he could genuinely see the main conflicts and grasp the underlying patterns.
Although they had phones now, calling wasn’t always convenient, and there was rarely anything significant to discuss, so both still preferred writing letters to communicate.
In his last letter, Li Zhuiyuan mentioned the release of the workbook, casually sharing Tan Wenbin's thoughts with Xue Liangliang.
In his reply, Xue Liangliang regarded Tan Wenbin as a commercial genius. He firmly believed that the future of this line of work was a vast, blue ocean, filled with broad commercial prospects, because the Chinese inherently value education as a cultural instinct; most families, no matter how financially tight, would not hesitate to invest in education.
Xue Liangliang also said that if Tan Wenbin wanted to pursue this path, he could invest some money and advised him not to limit himself to just personal brand influence. Instead, leveraging the education examination tag in Nantong to negotiate collaborations with prestigious high schools could be a better strategy, creating a large brand for the whole city.
Li Zhuiyuan relayed Xue Liangliang's advice to Tan Wenbin, who was stunned for a while before slapping his thigh and exclaiming, “Wow, this guy is something amazing!”
But when Li Zhuiyuan asked Tan Wenbin whether he was interested in pursuing this venture, Tan Wenbin shook his head, not wanting to.
He wanted to attend university; he wanted to keep learning.
Since he had already set sail on this path, he wished to journey far and truly see the scenery ahead, reaching that destination.
To this, he added cheerfully, “My parents both work in state-owned enterprises; I don’t have to worry about their retirement.”
It made sense that a person who had faced life and death yet could maintain a positive attitude would hardly throw themselves into making money single-mindedly.
At lunch, Li Zhuiyuan didn’t join Tan Wenbin. Instead, he boarded a bus parked on the campus, with various food and drinks prepared on it.
It was still Principal Wu leading the group, with Teacher Yan assisting. The bus set off toward Jinling to compete in the provincial mathematics competition.
The other six classmates on the bus munched and drank all the way, their spirits high.
Li Zhuiyuan casually ate a little to quell his hunger, then leaned against the window, gazing at the passing scenery.
Wu Xinhang took notice and intentionally came over to ask if the provisions didn’t meet his taste.
Li Zhuiyuan shook his head and straightforwardly replied that he had initially lived in good conditions.
This answer momentarily stunned Wu Xinhang, who quickly smiled. To outsiders, it might sound boastful, but those familiar could sense the sincerity.
Being a principal demands good interpersonal skills; it all comes down to who is worthy of their use.
Thus, he enjoyed this straightforward boy’s company; being with him felt effortless.
After allowing Li Zhuiyuan to lie down in the back seat for a rest, they rented this bus for the exam, considering how to lessen the fatigue of travel for the students.
Upon reaching Jinling, they checked into a hotel.
Everyone else had shared rooms, while Li Zhuiyuan had a single.
No one considered this unfair; the other six classmates understood that they could advance through the selection partly because of the boy’s assistance.
Now, Li Zhuiyuan lay on his bed, cradling Wei Zhengdao's book.
There was a knock on the door.
Li Zhuiyuan got up to open it, and outside, he heard Principal Wu’s voice asking, “Who are you?”
“I’m Xiaoyuan’s brother.”
“Brother?”
Wu Xinhang and Teacher Yan's shared room was right across from Li Zhuiyuan’s.
At that moment, Teacher Yan was in another room, helping those six students practice mathematics questions, preparing for the examination the next day. The aim of today’s exercise was to keep their skills sharp rather than cramming at the last minute.
Wu Xinhang had left the door open, keeping an eye on Li Zhuiyuan, akin to a giant python guarding treasures in a mythological tale.
Upon opening the door and seeing the visitor, Li Zhuiyuan smiled.
The visitor was Xue Liangliang.
Haihe University was located in Jinling.
After Xue Liangliang presented his student ID for Wu Xinhang to check, he passed through the principal’s inspection to meet his precious brother.
Shutting the door, Xue Liangliang laughed, “Xiaoyuan, your principal really cherishes you.”
As he spoke, he bent down and pinched the boy’s face playfully.
“Come on, let me absorb some of the genius' energy to aid my cultivation and soon join the ranks of immortals.”
“You shouldn’t absorb mine, Liangliang Ge.”
Xue Liangliang froze momentarily. “What are you holding in your hand?”
“Some specialties from Jinling. I figured you wouldn’t want to carry a bunch of stuff back home, so I prepared some snacks for us to enjoy together.”
He took out several treats, one of which was salted duck.
Li Zhuiyuan picked up his chopsticks and took a piece to try.
“How is it?”
“Delicious.”
“I can’t get used to this dish,” Xue Liangliang shrugged. “But around here, both public and private sectors love to give salted duck during festivals.”
“Different tastes, I suppose. I prefer lighter flavors.”
This duck was basically just salty, with no other distinct flavors.
“Hey, you know, when I first saw in your letter that you were in senior year, I thought I read it wrong, and then I wondered if you misspoke. Why didn’t you tell me sooner that you were in the junior class?”
“I did tell you.”
“Did you?” Xue Liangliang pondered, “I must have zoned out then. You’re going to take the college entrance examination next year, huh?”
“Mm.”
“Then, how about becoming an alumnus together?”
“Sure.”
“Really?”
“Mm, really.”
A joyful smile spread across Xue Liangliang’s face, then he pulled out a letter from his pocket.
“You’re making me feel unaccomplished as the mediator; here’s a letter from Luo Gong. He asked me to deliver it to you. He wants me to persuade you to apply to our school ahead of time.”
College entrance exams were still far off, but the race had already begun.
Although the provincial exams were scheduled for tomorrow, the results from the city-level competitions had already drawn attention.
It primarily depended on the quality of the smaller competitions, coupled with Li Zhuiyuan’s impressive age.
Principal Wu had mentioned to Li Zhuiyuan that many universities were already showing their interest, and after the provincial exams, they would start their real recruitment efforts.
Wu Xinhang was quite happy because his school did not yet have the qualifications for guaranteed enrollment.
While the quality of teaching is a collective effort, having a standout student in a specific circle or industry could yield rich results, drawing more attention and resources to the school.
“Alright,” Li Zhuiyuan accepted the letter, “When will I be admitted early?”
“Pfft…” Xue Liangliang almost spit out half the water he had just sipped, wiping his mouth, “Are you so eager?”
“Yeah.”
“This attitude makes me wonder if there’s a treasure hidden beneath our school.”
“No need for treasures, just good grades.”
“Don’t, don’t! I’m afraid of your ghost stories!”
“Huh?”
“School ghost stories.”
“Oh, really? I don’t believe it.”
“I’m easily scared.”
Li Zhuiyuan gazed at him without blinking.
Xue Liangliang shrank his neck, “That one is different. She’s not a ghost or dead; she’s warm.”
Li Zhuiyuan asked curiously, “Is there something warm beneath the river?”
“Once the results of the province's exam are out, we can start the procedures. I think you can get a perfect score in the city exam and definitely win a prize in the province, meeting the conditions for early admission.”
Actually, what Xue Liangliang said wasn’t entirely accurate; it didn't work that way. But the conditions were set to save on filtering costs, and when someone’s ability and talent could break through, those conditions could be flexible.
“By the way, I took leave. When you all head back, I’ll shamelessly join you on the same bus.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve already arranged my internship for next month; I’ll be heading to Shancheng.”
“Oh, you want to visit sister-in-law before you leave?”
“You say ‘sister-in-law’ quite smoothly; I thought you’d dread and dislike them.”
“I really dislike the Bai family, but she can make them head underwater, which I think is great. That’s where they belong.”
Xue Liangliang took a deep breath and exhaled, murmuring, “Then that can be seen as my contribution.”
“Should I write you into the local records, Liangliang Ge, since you made such a significant contribution to the community’s peace?”
“Hahaha, that’d be too embarrassing; if people read this later, they’ll think I’m some kind of silly fool.”
“Are you still planning to visit her?”
“Once I reach Shancheng, I don’t know when I’ll be back, so I should visit first. It’s still a fixed task.”
“Like my grandfather and grand-greatfather delivering tribute?”
“Hey, you little rascal, don’t think I can’t see through your innocent act!”
Xue Liangliang directly tackled Li Zhuiyuan onto the bed and began tickling him.
Only after Li Zhuiyuan begged for mercy did he relent.
After chatting for a little while longer, Xue Liangliang prepared to leave.
“Do your best; good luck on the exam tomorrow! I’ll be waiting for you outside the examination hall.”
“Mm.”
At that moment, a knock came again.
“Who are you?” Principal Wu’s voice came from across the door again.
“I’m looking for Xiaoyuan; I’m his brother.”
“Another brother? Does Xiaoyuan have so many brothers in Jinling?”
Li Zhuiyuan opened the door to see a person standing there.
The person appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old; although casually dressed, he stood like a sharp blade.
“Principal, this is my brother.”
“Oh, well, you brothers can have your meeting.”
Wu Xinhang waved his hand and swam back to his room.
However, the newcomer stayed at the door without entering and said plainly, “Grandma wants you to return to Beijing.”
Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. “I won’t go back.”
“Your mother used that kind of application report to make demands from above; your grandpa doesn’t allow interference from the family, but you can still make choices for your own life.”
“This is my choice.”
“Even though your parents divorced, you’re still part of our family.”
“I’m now Li.”
“No leeway?”
“No.”
“Alright.”
Turning abruptly, the newcomer left.
Xue Liangliang, a bit surprised, asked, “Who is he?”
“That’s my dad’s older brother’s son.”
It wasn’t that Li Zhuiyuan wanted to be cold, but he had momentarily lost track of who he was referring to.
“Is this how relatives on your dad's side usually interact?”
“Not really. It should be because Grandpa Bei gave orders to the family.”
“Orders? I must say, he really does seem like a soldier.”
“He is.”
“But even if parents divorce, shouldn’t it be somewhat different? It’s not like your mom changed your surname, right?”
“Hmm, she did do that.”
“Oh, no wonder.”
“But that’s not the core reason.”
Li Zhuiyuan knew that his Grandpa Bei was very principled. Since Li Lan used special means to arrange for her son, Grandpa Bei could only recognize this arrangement and wouldn’t allow family interference in that decision.
The boy now suspected that what Li Lan did was quite like what Zhu Changyong had done, even though it wasn’t beneath the sea.
As for the individual capable of locating him here, that was already going against Grandpa’s wishes, which was quite unimaginable in the Bei family. If Grandpa found out, they would be in real trouble.
Thus, the other’s cold manner was habitual, while Li Zhuiyuan’s same indifference was to avoid misunderstandings, fearful of giving them the impression that there was any room for negotiating.
Otherwise, if he reported the wrong thing to Grandma Bei, they might decide to take it further, causing Grandpa Bei to become furious.
In Grandpa Bei’s eyes, Li Lan’s arrangement of him was akin to “the wishes of fallen comrades.”
“Oh, by the way, if you get accepted early, will you still attend classes at school?”
“I’ll attend the college entrance exam.”
“Do you want to come with me to play in Shancheng?”
“Uh…”
Li Zhuiyuan wasn’t keen on traveling far, at least not right now.
“Forget it; there’s nothing fun to do. My workplace definitely won’t be in the city, but in those valleys; it’s just mountains and water everywhere.”
“Alright.”
“Hmm?”
“I can go play.”
The frequency of unfortunate events happening in his hometown had recently decreased dramatically.
At first, it felt like one happen every few days, but now, it was a stretch to go a couple of months without a single occurrence. Detached from the reality, problems would arise.
“Okay, I’ll plan it for you later.”
“Can I bring a friend?”
“Is that even a matter?”
“Thanks, Liangliang Ge.”
“Then do well on your exam; I’m heading out.”
“Goodbye, Liangliang Ge.”
That night, Li Zhuiyuan fell asleep early.
When he woke up in the morning, Wu Xinhang and Teacher Yan brought everyone to the examination hall.
Coincidentally, Li Zhuiyuan's seat was still in the row by the window, allowing him to see a grove of ginkgo trees from where he sat.
However, this time, when the exam bell rang, he didn’t continue to daydream at the view but lowered his head to answer the questions.
The questions were much more difficult than those in the city competition. The examiners intended to challenge the students; you could almost see their sinister smiles in the numbers and symbols.
Li Zhuiyuan empathized; it felt like how he felt when setting tough questions for Tan Wenbin.
After completing the exam, Li Zhuiyuan turned in his paper early and walked back to the ginkgo tree, watching the yellowing leaves above.
He truly wanted to suggest that Principal Bei plant some of these in their school, yet on second thought, he realized it wasn’t entirely necessary; he probably wouldn’t get many opportunities to see them again.
Once outside the exam room, Wu Xinhang and Teacher Yan hurried to him, one offering a towel, the other a water bottle.
“How’d it go, Xiaoyuan?”
“Were the questions difficult?”
“I finished all of them.”
Hearing that, the two let out a sigh of relief, the weight on their hearts lifted substantially.
The day after completing the exam, the midterms were to be held.
Originally, Wu Xinhang expected Xiaoyuan would come to his office for a rest after the first exam like last time, so he even brought a thermos filled with chicken soup his wife had made.
But as he waited, he didn’t see the boy at all.
He grew restless, not because he worried about the chicken soup going to waste, but because he feared that the boy would rest elsewhere and catch a cold from the wind.
He first went to Sun Qing's office.
Sun Qing had just finished monitoring an exam and was sharing some persimmon cakes with the teachers in the office.
Now, Sun Qing had become significantly more confident and composed compared to when she first took on the role of head teacher. After all, only those without results would get trapped in the whirlpool of vying for qualifications, battling and struggling against one another.
When qualifications fall from the sky, they are still qualifications.
Later on, she would only mention teaching “so-and-so.” Who really cared to dig deeper into what she taught?
One could even cover their mouth and say, “Actually, he was quite smart and didn’t need our guidance; letting him develop freely was enough.”
That was the truth, yet listeners would only see it as modesty.
Just like how Wu Xinhang would make sarcastic comments in meetings, everyone has their own spiritual needs. Sun Qing now loved to lie on her bed before sleep, fantasizing about her future.
“Teacher Sun, could you step out for a moment?”
“Of course, Principal.” Sun Qing stepped out and handed Wu Xinhang a piece of persimmon cake.
Wu Xinhang took a bite and asked, “Where’s Xiaoyuan?”
“He's still taking the exam.”
“Oh, he hasn’t finished yet? Wasn’t the paper prepared beforehand? Didn’t anyone deliver it to him?”
“No, Xiaoyuan mentioned that he wanted to take the exam according to the regular process to familiarize himself with the college entrance procedure.”
The midterm exam was different from the monthly exam; it wasn’t crammed into a short period but spread out over two days to simulate the exam format as closely as possible.
“What a thoughtful child.”
“Teacher Su is quite pleased.”
“Hehe.”
Teacher Su taught English, and while it could be acceptable to reverse the first and second subjects of Chinese and Mathematics, she had never seen a school hold the English exam first. She didn’t want to look back on her glorious teaching history and find that her English class fell short, reflecting poorly on her skill to even teach a genius properly.
After completing each exam, Tan Wenbin didn’t check answers but returned to his seat, choosing instead to do more questions or prepare for the next exam.
During this period, some snacks started appearing in his desk drawer each morning.
They were sent by the class monitor, Zhou Yunyan.
Even if Tan Wenbin was a bit naive, he could grasp the monitor's intentions, so he reciprocated by bringing back some small treats for her.
However, aside from discussing problems during breaks, he didn't have much interaction with Zhou Yunyan. After school, he rode his bicycle home following Runsheng and his tricycle.
Zhou Yunyan didn’t continue reaching out; they simply exchanged small gifts occasionally, each respecting the boundaries of their relationship.
Perhaps this was the most beautiful impulsion of youth, a warm remembrance that could bring a smile to one’s lips when recalling it in the future.
When harvesting rice, he shared this incident with Runsheng.
Runsheng turned to him and asked, “When are you planning to have kids?”
If it weren’t for the sickle Runsheng held in his hand, Tan Wenbin might have challenged him.
Alongside the midterm results came the scores from the mathematics competition. Although they still ranked by levels, universities had their own channels for the actual scores.
Lately, Wu Xinhang’s happiest moments came from sitting in his office receiving phone calls.
“Hello, this is Wu Xinhang, principal of Shigang Middle School.”
Then he would patiently wait for the caller to introduce themselves.
Was it not more fulfilling than a military training inspection?
However, Xiaoyuan had already informed him of his target university, which limited Wu Xinhang’s opportunity to enjoy the pleasure of flattering exchanges.
On the evening when the midterm exam rankings were announced, Tan Wenbin returned home.
After handing his report card to his mother, she burst into tears of joy.
When Tan Yunlong returned, his wife excitedly shared the delightful news with him, leaving him feeling somewhat dazed and unreal.
He walked to his son’s room intending to walk right in, yet he still knocked on the door.
Instead of a loud “come in,” his son walked over to open the door.
“Let’s talk on the balcony.”
“Mm.”
The father and son stepped out to the balcony.
Tan Yunlong remarked, “You did well this time.”
“There’s still room for improvement; I need to keep working hard.”
Tan Yunlong reached to pat his son's head, but raised his hand instead to pat his shoulder.
“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”
“Mm, I understand.”
Tan Yunlong took out a cigarette box, pulled one out, placed it in his mouth, hesitated, then pulled another out and offered it to his son.
Tan Wenbin suddenly felt a bit misty-eyed, instinctively lowering his head to avoid his father’s gaze.
Ironically, when he had longed for this moment, what he wished for now was to turn back time and escape it.
He pushed his father’s hand away, saying, “Dad, I’ve quit.”
——
I’m not feeling well today, and my condition is poor. I’m sorry for the chapter.
(End of this chapter)