Chapter 46 Next month I'll remind you (additional words at the end)...
The last day of September.
Yu Xiaocheng stood in front of the podium and handed out the notices she had received from the office.
Jiang Deyu and several boys had just returned from playing basketball and noisily swarmed into the classroom through the back door.
"I'm never playing basketball with those bastards from Class 4 again. They play way too dirty."
"That's right, Zhang Yang, that lackey, does the most despicable things possible."
"It was probably Wen Jinxu who instigated it. This guy can't compare to Brother Ji in academics, and he's even less of a good person."
Jiang Deyu approached Ji Jingyu with a look of regret, "Brother Ji, you should have come down with us and taught those bastards a lesson!"
Ji Jingyu flipped the test paper in her hand over and ignored him.
Jiang Sui, on the other hand, stirred.
As if annoyed by Jiang Deyu's noise, she covered her face with a small blanket, then changed her position, turning the back of her head towards the two of them.
Jiang Deyu instinctively fell silent, then quietly asked Ji Jingyu, "Who upset this young lady again?"
Ji Jingyu paused in his answer, his thin lips pursed, and a hint of irritation flickered beneath his cold, sharp eyes. "Go back to your seat."
He also wanted to know who had offended Jiang Sui this time.
After lunch, Jiang Sui was listless and just lay on her desk, ignoring everyone.
Even his favorite desserts were only eaten in two bites.
Last time she did this because she overheard her parents arguing and felt that Su Yinian didn't like her. So what's the reason this time?
Did you have a conflict with Teacher Su?
Is Lu Shuhe's matter not progressing smoothly?
Or perhaps someone in Licheng upset her?
Ji Jingyu looked at Jiang Sui's head, which was ignoring everyone, and felt inexplicably anxious.
—
What did the class monitor distribute this time?
Tong Xia, sitting in the front seat, said, "It's a notice about the National Day holiday."
Upon hearing this, Tong Xia didn't even bother to wipe his sweat; he immediately picked up the paper on the table and began to read it.
"Damn it." He glanced at it once and threw the notice back on the table. "Why do seniors only get three days off?"
"What? Only three days off?" Jiang Deyu put down his shirt, which he was using to wipe his sweat, and shouted angrily, "These are statutory holidays! Why is the school cutting off our holidays?"
As he spoke, he picked up the notice, one corner of which was already soaked with sweat, and looked at it again, only to find that Tong Xia was still being conservative.
Where did this three-day holiday come from?
It's true that the 1st and 2nd are holidays, but the schedule for the 3rd is a hiking and study tour!
The round trip involves hiking dozens of kilometers, starting before dawn and ending after dark, leaving everyone exhausted.
Jiang Deyu didn't need to ask anyone else; he could just look at Gu Ci from last year.
Even someone as physically fit as Gu Ci was exhausted when he returned to school.
She fell asleep leaning against Xia Fan while still on the bus.
Jiang Deyu had no objection to laying wreaths and cleaning the tombstones at the martyrs' cemetery, but he still had to go to class as usual the next day. Wasn't that a bit excessive?
"The school is so inhumane, they don't treat us like human beings at all!"
Just as Yu Xiaocheng was about to return to her seat, she heard Jiang Deyu say this and gave him a cold laugh, "We're not human, we're high school sacrificial lambs."
Fearing that Jiang Da Shazi might not understand, she deliberately emphasized the last word, "sacrifice".
Jiang Deyu: "I'm just speechless!"
"that is!"
"I'm not coming on the 4th. I'll ask my mom to give me a day off."
"Damn, your mom is so nice. If I told her I wanted to ask for leave, she'd probably hit me on the head with her rolling pin."
...
Several boys in the back row echoed his words, and for a moment the classroom was more lively than a vegetable market.
Enraged, discipline committee member Tian Tian stood on a chair and shouted, "Quiet! Everyone, quiet down! Self-study has already started!"
Unfortunately, the results were minimal.
Because all the senior high school teachers in the building went to the administration building for a meeting.
Including their homeroom teacher, Sun Hao.
When the tiger is away, the monkey becomes king.
The boy who said he'd get hit on the head with a rolling pin laughed and said, "Brother Hao isn't here right now, Sister Tian, you should take a break, have some water to soothe your throat. Shouting like this every day must be so hard on your voice."
"Oh, you're actually quite kind."
“Of course,” the boy replied casually.
The next second, he realized something was wrong.
Because the voice didn't belong to any of his classmates.
"Come on, no need for your mom to hit you on the head, I'll wake you up right now!"
A familiar, angry voice came from the back door.
Several boys turned to look at the sound and saw Qin Lin, with a beer belly, standing angrily at the back door of Class Two, with a stack of test papers tucked under his arm.
"The holiday hasn't even started yet, and you're already rebelling?!"
He dragged the noisy boys one by one into the corridor, made them line up from tallest to shortest, and subjected them to a baptism of spittle.
Qin Lin pointed to a spot behind him and shouted in a booming voice, "I've been standing there listening for ages, and your Class Two is the noisiest on this floor! What, you want a holiday now? Fine, I'll call your parents right now and have them come pick you up from school..."
"No, no, no, Teacher Qin." Tong Xia hurriedly reached out and pressed down on Qin Lin's hand, which was about to take out his phone. "You can't do that! We know we were wrong. I promise you, we will all behave and remain silent until school is over, and we will definitely not disrupt class discipline again."
Qin Lin looked at his class representative with a look of disappointment and frustration, his index finger practically leaving a blur in the air as he pointed at him.
"Look at you, how come you're always the one causing trouble every time we have a class reunion? Don't ever tell anyone you were my class representative again, I can't bear the embarrassment!"
"That won't do. I've always been proud to be your class representative."
"..."
Qin Lin slapped the test paper onto Tong Xia, saying, "Go inside and hand out the test papers. Let them correct them themselves first."
"Okay." Tong Xia readily accepted the test paper and obediently rolled away.
Jiang Deyu was the tallest in the group, and by the time it was his turn to be scolded, everyone in front of him had left.
He was half a head taller than Qin Lin, and the scene of the two of them staring at each other in the empty corridor was strangely comical.
Jiang Deyu decided to strike first, "All the senior high school teachers went to the meeting, why didn't you go? Aren't you afraid they'll gossip about you behind your back if you're secretly working hard like this?"
"What crickets and grasshoppers?" Qin Lin snorted. "I reviewed all the meeting content, so it doesn't matter whether I attend or not... Wait, why am I even talking to you?"
Jiang Deyu wiped the drool from his face and kindly advised, "Don't be angry, getting angry can cause you to go bald."
Qin Lin instinctively touched his thinning hair, and immediately felt a surge of anger.
That little rascal really knows how to bring up the most sensitive topics.
"Jiang Deyu!"
The students in the front and back rows near the door quietly closed the classroom door.
Even so, Qin Lin's cursing continued unabated.
Jiang Sui had covered her entire head.
Ji Jingyu was afraid she would feel bored, so he secretly made a small opening for her.
—
After class, Jiang Deyu, who had once again been scolded and felt withdrawn, lay dejectedly on his desk. "It's so unfair. Old Qin could have scolded you eight hundred times over the time he spent scolding me."
“You’re so good at math now,” Tong Xia handed him his math test paper, not forgetting to tease him a bit, “It’s because you’re so mean and always pick on Lao Qin’s sore spots. You know how much he cares about the few hairs on his head.”
When Tong Xia went to hand in her homework last time, she even saw hair growth tonic on Qin Lin's desk.
In short, Jiang Deyu deserved to be criticized.
“I reckon Lao Qin will definitely be keeping a close eye on you again in the next few days. Be careful, or he might actually call your dad.”
"Sigh." Jiang Deyu let out a long sigh, "My living environment is just too harsh!"
“Strong people never complain about their environment. Look at Brother Ji, he never says anything like that.” Yu Xiaocheng patted him on the shoulder. “If you complain, it means you’re not strong enough.”
"Strong people never complain about their environment, because they are the ones who made it bad."
Jiang Deyu surveyed Ji Jingyu's surroundings and quickly identified his allies.
"Jiang Sui, don't you think so?"
"Huh?" Jiang Sui had just woken up, her eyes still red with sleepiness, and she was still unaware of what was going on as she hugged her little blanket.
Jiang Deyu spouted fallacies and nonsense, saying things like, "If everyone could only score 50 on a 150-point test, would the passing score still be 90? If everyone broke the rules, would I still be dragged out and scolded today? If everyone put down their homework and came with me to the principal's office to protest, would we still only have a three-day holiday for National Day?"
His tone was loud and clear, and his words carried weight.
Everyone: "..."
After a long while, Yu Xiaocheng's voice, filled with gritted teeth, was heard: "Why didn't Lao Qin curse you to death just now!"
Jiang Deyu waited expectantly for Jiang Sui to agree.
He thought that others might not understand, but Jiang Sui, this elementary school underachiever, would definitely be able to empathize with him.
To his surprise, Jiang Sui simply rolled her eyes at him lazily and then lay back down on the table.
Jiang Deyu: Tsk, this damn school has made everyone so angry.
—
By the end of September, the weather was no longer as hot as it had been at the beginning of the school year.
The bright, yet gentle sunlight streamed through the window and fell on Jiang Sui's face, making her skin appear as translucent as porcelain. Her slightly trembling eyelashes cast a light shadow around her eyelids, making her eyes look moist and beautiful, just like a movie poster.
Only Ji Jingyu, who was closest to Jiang Sui, could see that a layer of cold sweat was on her forehead.
Are you feeling unwell?
"stomachache."
Jiang Sui frowned, wanting to put her hands on her stomach, but the temperature of her palms was as cold as ice, which would only make things worse and had no other use, so she had to give up.
Because of the previous blunder, Ji Jingyu had a thorough understanding of the matter.
They quickly realized what Jiang Sui meant by stomach pain.
"So you bought ice cream yesterday?"
His tone was one of surprise and helplessness, mixed with an emotion that Jiang Sui couldn't quite discern.
If he hadn't stopped her, Jiang Sui would have even wanted to buy a shaved ice after finishing her ice cream.
“…That might not be from eating ice cream; it could also be from a change in environment.” After meeting Ji Jingyu’s gaze, Jiang Sui couldn’t continue her story and looked aggrieved. “Well, I forgot.”
Ji Jingyu sighed almost imperceptibly, "I've got it."
Jiang Sui was taken aback. "Write down what?"
Ji Jingyu didn't explain much, only saying, "I'll remind you next month."
I won't let Jiang Sui eat random things anymore.
"Do you remember the acupoint I told you about last time?" Ji Jingyu didn't expect Jiang Sui to remember. He stretched out his hand and demonstrated it in front of her. "Just press this part."
Jiang Sui had always thought Ji Jingyu's hands were beautiful, and they looked even more so in the clear sunlight.
Her wrists were slender and delicate, like green bamboo, with smooth and beautiful lines, while her fingers, outstretched in the air, were fair and long, with graceful joints.
Jiang Sui was looking at the small mole on the back of his hand and didn't pay much attention to what Ji Jingyu was saying.
Jiang Sui thought that she could still be distracted at a time like this, and that she must have inherited her father's love-struck brain.
Seeing Jiang Sui standing there in a daze without speaking, Ji Jingyu paused for a moment, then suddenly leaned forward, reached out and took her hand, gently massaging the acupoint between her two fingers with his thumb.
Soon, his lips pressed into a thin line, and Jiang Sui's fingers were chillingly cold.
Ji Jingyu's actions were very measured, and Jiang Sui did not feel offended at all.
She curled her fingers comfortably, wanting to absorb more warmth.
As her delicate fingertips accidentally brushed against the back of his hand, Ji Jingyu unconsciously clenched her Adam's apple, pressing down a little harder on the last touch.
"I'm going out for a bit. Can you press the buttons by yourself for a while?"
After saying that, he got up and left the classroom.
"Hey, where did Brother Ji go out to?" Jiang Deyu stared at Ji Jingyu's lean and tall back, a hint of regret flashing across his face. "Is he angry with me?"
I should have known better than to spout this nonsense about "the strong prevail".
Yu Xiaocheng mocked him, "Although I don't know what Brother Ji is going to do, I know you're not that important yet."
—
The supermarket auntie rummaged through drawers and cabinets for ages before finally finding a hot water bottle the size of her palm.
She asked with a smile, "Is this for your girlfriend? You're so thoughtful, classmate."
She's run a supermarket near No. 2 Middle School for so many years, she's seen all kinds of young couples.
It's either brown sugar water or a hot water bottle and a heating pad; it's pretty much the same thing.
Ji Jingyu: "..."
Seeing the other person remain silent, the aunt immediately understood, "Don't worry, I'm tight-lipped, I definitely won't tell anyone."
The young man is so handsome and considerate; I wonder which lucky girl is he?
Jiang Sui came to the supermarket frequently, and she was quite conspicuous. Fearing that it might cause unnecessary misunderstandings, Ji Jingyu spoke up to deny it, "No, it was bought with class funds for all the girls in the class."
He paused, then continued, "Please pack it in a black bag."
"...Oh, I see."
Does Ji Jingyu like her too?
He was being far too good to himself.
Should we find some time to confront him and ask him directly?
Jiang Sui pondered to himself.
But what if she's just imagining things? That would be awkward, and how would she get along with Ji Jingyu afterward?
Jiang Sui bit her lip and glanced at Ji Jingyu, feeling troubled for the first time.
Ji Jingyu noticed her gaze and immediately turned to speak to her, "What's wrong? Are you still feeling unwell?"
Jiang Sui shook her head.
"I was just thinking..." Realizing the timing was inappropriate, she abruptly changed the subject, "It's been almost a week, why hasn't Lu Shuhe made a move at all?"
Jiang Sui recommended so many psychologists to her, but Lu Shuhe didn't add any of them to her contacts.
“You’ve done all you can. The rest is up to her.” Ji Jingyu noticed that Jiang Sui still looked unwell and said gently, “Sleep a little longer. The teacher is coming, and I’ll explain for you.”
The author's note: Several years later, the two returned to their alma mater hand in hand.
The supermarket auntie, wearing reading glasses, recognized them at a glance: "Young man, why did you lie to me back then? I told you I would keep it a secret!"
Thank you for the nutrient solution, everyone!
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